LFrankBaum 


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i^JcZi^e-^ /  fa  d 


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THE   LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES   OF 

SANTA  CLAUS 


THE  NEW-BORN  SANTA  CLAUS,  CHUBBY  AND  PIWK,  PAGE  II. 


THE  BOWEN-MERRILL  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS,  INDIANAPOLIS 


»^w-— •c^i    *s*j£^'7*i 


COPYRIGHT    IQ02,    THE    HOWES-MERRILL    COMPANY. 


MANHOOD 

The  Laughing  Valley  43 

How  Claus  Made  the  First  Toy  54 

How  the  Ryls  Colored  the  Toys  62 

How  Little  Mayrie  Became  Frightened  75 
How  Bessie  Blithesome  Came  to  the 

Laughing  Valley  83 

The  Wickedness  of  the  Awgwas  95 
The  Great  Battle  Between  Good  and  Evil      108 

The  First  Journey  with  the  Reindeer  120 

"Santa  Claus!  "  136 

Christmas  Eve  139 
How  the  First  Stockings  were  Hung 

by  the  Chimneys  153 

The  First  Christmas  Tree  165 

OLD  AGE 

The  Mantle  of  Immortality  175 

When  the  World  Grew  Old  190 

The  Deputies  of  Santa  Claus  196 


THE   LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES   OF 

SANTA  CLAUS 

B B 


CHAPTER  FIRST 


AVE  you  heard  of  the  great  Forest  oi 
Burzee  ?  Nurse  used  to  sing  of  it  whei 
I  was  a  child.  She  sang  of  the  big  tree^ 
trunks,  standing  close  together,  with  their  roots 
intertwining  below  the  earth  and  their  branches 
intertwining  above  it;  of  their  rough  coating  of 
bark  and  queer,  gnarled  limbs ;  of  the  bushy 
foliage  that  roofed  the  entire  forest,  save  where 
the  sunbeams  found  a  path  through  which  to 
touch    the    ground    in    little   spots    and    to   cast 


C^e  MU  aitD  aDbcuturcg  of  ^attta  Claug 

weird  and  curious  shadows  over  the  mosses,  the 
lichens  and  the  drifts  of  dried  leaves. 

The  Forest  of  Burzee  is  mighty  and  grand 
and  awesome  to  those  who  steal  beneath  its 
shade.  Coming  from  the  sunlit  meadows  into 
its  mazes  it  seems  at  first  gloomy,  then  pleasant, 
and  afterward  filled  with  never-ending  delights. 

For  hundreds  of  years  it  has  flourished  in  all 
its  magnificence,  the  silence  of  its  inclosure  un- 
broken save  by  the  chirp  of  busy  chipmunks, 
the  growl  of  wild  beasts  and  the  songs  of  birds. 

Yet  Burzee  has  its  inhabitants — for  all  this. 
Nature  peopled  it  in  the  beginning  with  Fairies, 
Knooks,  Ryls  and  Nymphs.  As  long  as  the 
Forest  stands  it  will  be  a  home,  a  refuge  and  a 
playground  to  these  sweet  immortals,  who  revel 
undisturbed  in  its  depths. 

Civilization  has  never  yet  reached  Burzee. 
Will  it  ever,  I  wonder  ? 


CHAPTER  SECOND 


€t)e  Cljtlo  of  tyc  tfomt 


NCE,  so  long  ago  our  great-grandfathers 
could  scarcely  have  heard  it  mentioned, 
there  lived  within  the  great  Forest  of 
Burzee  a  wood-nymph  named  Necile.  She  was 
closely  related  to  the  mighty  Queen  Zurline, 
and  her  home  was  beneath  the  shade  of  a  wide- 
spreading  oak.  Once  every  year,  on  Budding 
Day,  when  the  trees  put  forth  their  new  buds, 
Necile  held  the  Golden  Chalice  of  Ak  to  the 
lips  of  the  Queen,  who  drank  therefrom  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  Forest.  So  you  see  she  was  a 
nymph  of  some  importance,  and,  moreover,  it  is 
said  she  was  highly  regarded  because  of  her 
beauty   and   grace. 


■C^e  life  atto  atfoeuturc?;  of  ^anta  Clang 

When  she  was  created  she  could  not  have 
told;  Queen  Zurline  could  not  have  told;  the 
great  Ak  himself  could  not  have  told.  It  was 
long  ago  when  the  world  was  new  and  nymphs 
were  needed  to  guard  the  forests  and  to  min- 
ister to  the  wants  of  the  young  trees.  Then,  on 
some  day  not  remembered,  Necile  sprang  into 
being;  radiant,  lovely,  straight  and  slim  as  the 
sapling  she  was  created  to  guard. 

Her  hair  was  the  color  that  lines  a  chestnut- 
bur;  her  eyes  were  blue  in  the  sunlight  and 
purple  in  the  shade;  her  cheeks  bloomed  with 
the  faint  pink  that  edges  the  clouds  at  sunset; 
her  lips  were  full  red,  pouting  and  sweet.  For 
costume  she  adopted  oak-leaf  green;  all  the 
wood-nymphs  dress  in  that  color  and  know  no 
other  so  desirable.  Her  dainty  feet  were  sandal- 
clad,  while  her  head  remained  bare  of  covering 
other  than  her  silken  tresses. 

Necile's  duties  were  few  and  simple.  She  kept 
hurtful  weeds   from   growing   beneath   her  trees 


€^e  Life  ano  aobentureg  of  ^>attta  Claujs 

and  sapping  the  earth -food  required  by  her 
charges.  She  frightened  away  the  Gadgols,  who 
took  evil  delight  in  flying  against  the  tree-trunks 
and  wounding  them  so  that  they  drooped  and 
died  from  the  poisonous  contact.  In  dry  seasons 
she  carried  water  from  the  brooks  and  pools  and 
moistened  the  roots  of  her  thirsty  dependents. 

That  was  in  the  beginning.  The  weeds  had 
now  learned  to  avoid  the  forests  where  wood- 
nymphs  dwelt;  the  loathsome  Gadgols  no  longer 
dared  come  nigh;  the  trees  had  become  old 
and  sturdy  and  could  bear  the  drought  better 
than  when  fresh-sprouted.  So  Necile's  duties 
were  lessened,  and  time  grew  laggard,  while  suc- 
ceeding years  became  more  tiresome  and  un- 
eventful than  the  nymph's  joyous  spirit  loved. 

Truly  the  forest-dwellers  did  not  lack  amuse- 
ment. Each  full  moon  they  danced  in  the  Royal 
Circle  of  the  Queen.  There  were  also  the  Feast 
of  Nuts,  the  Jubilee  of  Autumn  Tintings,  the 
solemn    ceremony    of   Leaf   Shedding    and   the 

5 


C^e  life  and  atfoentureg  of  £>auta  Claujs 

revelry  of  Budding  Day.  But  these  periods  of 
enjoyment  were  far  apart,  and  left  many  weary 
hours  between. 

That  a  wood-nymph  should  grow  discontented 
was  not  thought  of  by  Necile's  sisters.  It  came 
upon  her  only  after  many  years  of  brooding. 
But  when  once  she  had  settled  in  her  mind 
that  life  was  irksome  she  had  no  patience  with 
her  condition,  and  longed  to  do  something  of 
real  interest  and  to  pass  her  days  in  ways  hitherto 
undreamed  of  by  forest  nymphs.  The  Law  of 
the  Forest  alone  restrained  her  from  going  forth 
in  search  of  adventure. 

While  this  mood  lay  heavy  upon  pretty  Necile 
it  chanced  that  the  great  Ak  visited  the  Forest 
of  Burzee  and  allowed  the  wood-nymphs  —  as 
was  their  wont — to  lie  at  his  feet  and  listen  to 
the  words  of  wisdom  that  fell  from  his  lips.  Ak 
is  the  Master  Woodsman  of  the  world;  he  sees 
everything,  and  knows  more  than  the  sons  of 
men. 


%ty  Hit  ana  atfoetttuteg  of  ^>anta  Clauss 

That  night  he  held  the  Queen's  hand,  for  he 
loved  the  nymphs  as  a  father  loves  his  children ; 
and  Necile  lay  at  his  feet  with  many  of  her  sis- 
ters and  earnestly  harkened  as  he  spoke. 

"We  live  so  happily,  my  fair  ones,  in  our  for- 
est glades,"  said  Ak,  stroking  his  grizzled  beard 
thoughtfully,  "  that  we  know  nothing  of  the  sor- 
row and  misery  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  those  poor 
mortals  who  inhabit  the  open  spaces  of  the  earth. 
They  are  not  of  our  race,  it  is  true,  yet  com- 
passion well  befits  beings  so  fairly  favored  as  our- 
selves. Often  as  I  pass  by  the  dwelling  of  some 
suffering  mortal  I  am  tempted  to  stop  and  banish 
the  poor  thing's  misery.  Yet  suffering,  in  mod- 
eration, is  the  natural  lot  of  mortals,  and  it  is  not 
our  place  to  interfere  with  the  laws  of  Nature." 

"Nevertheless,"  said  the  fair  Queen,  nodding 
her  golden  head  at  the  Master  Woodsman,  "it 
would  not  be  a  vain  guess  that  Ak  has  often 
assisted  these  hapless  mortals." 

Ak  smiled. 


C^e  life  ano  atfoentuteg  of  ^>anta  Clauss 

"  Sometimes,"  he  replied,  "  when  they  are 
very  young — <  children,'  the  mortals  call  them 
— I  have  stopped  to  rescue  them  from  misery. 
The  men  and  women  I  dare  not  interfere  with; 
they  must  bear  the  burdens  Nature  has  imposed 
upon  them.  But  the  helpless  infants,  the  inno- 
cent children  of  men,  have  a  right  to  be  happy 
until  they  become  full-grown  and  able  to  bear 
the  trials  of  humanity.  So  I  feel  I  am  justified 
in  assisting  them.  Not  long  ago  —  a  year,  may- 
be—  I  found  four  poor  children  huddled  in  a 
wooden  hut,  slowly  freezing  to  death.  Their 
parents  had  gone  to  a  neighboring  village  for 
food,  and  had  left  a  fire  to  warm  their  little 
ones  while  they  were  absent.  But  a  storm  arose 
and  drifted  the  snow  in  their  path,  so  they  were 
long  on  the  road.  Meantime  the  fire  went  out 
and  the  frost  crept  into  the  bones  of  the  waiting 
children." 

"  Poor  things  !  "  murmured  the  Queen  softly. 
"  What  did  you  do  ?  " 

8 


%X)t  JLffc  anD  atfoenturcjs  of  ^attta  Clang 

"  I  called  Nelko,  bidding  him  fetch  wood  from 
my  forests  and  breathe  upon  it  until  the  fire 
blazed  again  and  warmed  the  little  room  where 
the  children  lay.  Then  they  ceased  shivering 
and  fell  asleep  until  their  parents  came." 

"  I  am  glad  you  did  thus,"  said  the  good 
Queen,  beaming  upon  the  Master;  and  Necile, 
who  had  eagerly  listened  to  every  word,  echoed 
in  a  whisper :     "  I,  too,  am  glad  !  " 

"And  this  very  night,"  continued  Ak,  "  as  I 
came  to  the  edge  of  Burzee  I  heard  a  feeble 
cry,  which  I  judged  came  from  a  human  infant. 
I  looked  about  me  and  found,  close  to  the  forest, 
a  helpless  babe,  lying  quite  naked  upon  the 
grasses  and  wailing  piteously.  Not  far  away, 
screened  by  the  forest,  crouched  Shiegra,  the 
lioness,  intent  upon  devouring  the  infant  for  her 
evening  meal." 

"And  what  did  you  do,  Ak  ? "  asked  the 
Queen,   breathlessly. 

"  Not    much,   being  in  a  hurry   to   greet   my 

9 


C^e  life  anD  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Clang 

nymphs.  But  I  commanded  Shiegra  to  lie  close 
to  the  babe,  and  to  give  it  her  milk  to  quiet  its 
hunger.  And  I  told  her  to  send  word  through- 
out the  forest,  to  all  beasts  and  reptiles,  that  the 
child  should  not  be  harmed." 

"  I  am  glad  you  did  thus,"  said  the  good 
Queen  again,  in  a  tone  of  relief;  but  this  time 
Necile  did  not  echo  her  words,  for  the  nymph, 
filled  with  a  strange  resolve,  had  suddenly  stolen 
away  from  the  group. 

Swiftly  her  lithe  form  darted  through  the  for- 
est paths  until  she  reached  the  edge  of  mighty 
Burzee,  when  she  paused  to  gaze  curiously 
about  her.  Never  until  now  had  she  ventured 
so  far,  for  the  Law  of  the  Forest  had  placed  the 
nymphs  in  its  inmost  depths. 

Necile  knew  she  was  breaking  the  Law,  but 
the  thought  did  not  give  pause  to  her  dainty 
feet.  She  had  decided  to  see  with  her  own  eyes 
this  infant  Ak  had  told  of,  for  she  had  never  yet 
beheld  a  child  of  man.     All   the   immortals  are 

10 


€^e  Life  ano  atfoentuteg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

full-grown;  there  are  no  children  among  them. 
Peering  through  the  trees  Necile  saw  the 
child  lying  on  the  grass.  But  now  it  was  sweetly 
sleeping,  having  been  comforted  by  the  milk 
drawn  from  Shiegra.  It  was  not  old  enough  to 
know  what  peril  means;  if  it  did  not  feel  hunger 
it  was  content. 

Softly  the  nymph  stole  to  the  side  of  the  babe 
and  knelt  upon  the  sward,  her  long  robe  of  rose 
leaf  color  spreading  about  her  like  a  gossamer 
cloud.  Her  lovely  countenance  expressed  curi- 
osity and  surprise,  but,  most  of  all,  a  tender, 
womanly  pity.  The  babe  was  new-born,  chubby 
and  pink.  It  was  entirely  helpless.  While  the 
nymph  gazed  the  infant  opened  its  eyes,  smiled 
upon  her,  and  stretched  out  two  dimpled  arms. 
In  another  instant  Necile  had  caught  it  to  her 
breast  and  was  hurrying  with  it  through  the 
forest  paths. 


I~"^HE  Master  Woodsman  suddenly  rose, 
with  knitted  brows.  "  There  is  a  strange 
presence  in  the  Forest,"  he  declared. 
Then  the  Queen  and  her  nymphs  turned  and 
saw  standing  before  them  Necile,  with  the  sleep- 
ing infant  clasped  tightly  in  her  arms  and  a  de- 
fiant look  in  her  deep  blue  eyes. 

And  thus  for  a  moment  they  remained,  the 
nymphs  filled  with  surprise  and  consternation, 
but  the  brow  of  the  Master  Woodsman  gradu- 
ally clearing  as  he  gazed  intently  upon  the  beau- 
tiful immortal  who  had  wilfully  broken  the 
Law.  Then  the  great  Ak,  to  the  wonder  of  all, 
laid  his  hand  softly  on  Necile's  flowing  locks 
and  kissed  her  on  her  fair  forehead. 


Ci)c  life  atiD  atfoctttureg  of  ^>anta  ClaujS 


"  For  the  first  time  within  my  knowledge," 
said  he,  gently,  "a  nymph  has  defied  me  and  my 
laws;  yet  in  my  heart  can  I  find  no  word  of 
chiding.     What  is  your  desire,  Necile  ?  " 

"  Let  me  keep  the  child !  "  she  answered,  be- 
ginning to  tremble  and  falling  on  her  knees  in 
supplication. 

"  Here,  in   the    Forest   of  Burzee,  where  the  (  J~e 
human   race   has   never  yet  penetrated  ?  "    ques- 
tioned Ak. 

"  Here,  in  the  Forest  of  Burzee,"  replied  the 
nymph,  boldly.  "  It  is  my  home,  and  I  am 
weary  for  lack  of  occupation.  Let  me  care  for 
the  babe !  See  how  weak  and  helpless  it  is. 
Surely  it  can  not  harm  Burzee  nor  the  Master 
Woodsman  of  the  World !  " 

"  But  the  Law,  child,  the  Law !  "  cried  Ak, 
sternly. 

"  The  Law  is  made  by  the  Master  Woods- 
man," returned  Necile ;  "  if  he  bids  me  care  for 
the  babe  he  himself  has  saved   from  death,  who 


13 


C^e  life  and  atfocnturcg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

in  all  the  world  dare  oppose  me  ? "  Queen 
Zurline,  who  had  listened  intently  to  this  con- 
versation, clapped  her  pretty  hands  gleefully  at 
the  nymph's  answer. 

"You  are  fairly  trapped,  O  Ak !  "  she  ex- 
claimed, laughing.  "  Now,  I  pray  you,  give 
heed  to  Necile's  petition." 

The  Woodsman,  as  was  his  habit  when  in 
thought,  stroked  his  grizzled  beard  slowly.  Then 
he  said : 

"  She  shall  keep  the  babe,  and  I  will  give  it 
my  protection.  But  I  warn  you  all  that  as  this 
is  the  first  time  I  have  relaxed  the  Law,  so  shall 
it  be  the  last  time.  Never  more,  to  the  end  of 
the  World,  shall  a  mortal  be  adopted  by  an  im- 
mortal. Otherwise  would  we  abandon  our  happy 
existence  for  one  of  trouble  and  anxiety.  Good 
night,  my  nymphs !  " 

Then  Ak  was  gone  from  their  midst,  and 
Necile  hurried  away  to  her  bower  to  rejoice 
over  her  new-found  treasure. 


CHAPTER  FOURTH 


Claug 


"ANOTHER  day  found  Necile's  bower  the 
I  %  most  popular  place  in  the  Forest.  The 
nymphs  clustered  around  her  and  the 
child  that  lay  asleep  in  her  lap,  with  expres- 
sions of  curiosity  and  delight.  Nor  were  they 
wanting  in  praises  for  the  great  Ak's  kindness 
in  allowing  Necile  to  keep  the  babe  and  to  care 
for  it.  Even  the  Queen  came  to  peer  into  the 
innocent  childish  face  and  to  hold  a  helpless, 
chubby  fist  in  her  own  fair  hand. 

"What  shall  we  call  him,  Necile?"  she/ 
asked,  smiling.  "  He  must  have  a  name,  you/ 
know." 

"Let  him  be  called  Claus,"  answered  Necile, 
<l  for  that  means  'a  little  one.'  " 


Clje  JLtfe  and  aofcenturcs  of  ^attta  Claug 

"  Rather  let  him  be  called  Neclaus,"  *  re- 
turned the  Queen,  "for  that  will  mean  'Necile's 
little  one.'" 

The  nymphs  clapped  their  hands  in  delight, 
and  Neclaus  became  the  infant's  name,  although 
Necile  loved  best  to  call  him  Claus,  and  in  after- 
days  many  of  her  sisters  followed  her  example. 

Necile  gathered  the  softest  moss  in  all  the 
forest  for  Claus  to  lie  upon,  and  she  made  his 
bed  in  her  own  bower.  Of  food  the  infant  had 
no  lack.  The  nymphs  searched  the  forest  for 
bell-udders,  which  grow  upon  the  goa-tree  and 
when  opened  are  found  to  be  filled  with  sweet 
milk.  And  the  soft-eyed  does  willingly  gave  a 
share  of  their  milk  to  support  the  little  stranger, 
while  Shiegra,  the  lioness,  often  crept  stealthily 


*  Some  people  have  spelled  this  name  Nicklaus,  and  others 
Nicolas,  which  is  the  reason  that  Santa  Claus  is  still  known  in 
some  lands  as  St.  Nicolas.  But,  of  course,  Neclaus  is  his  right 
name,  and  Claus  the  nickname  given  him  by  his  adopted  mother, 
the  fair  nymph  Necile. 

16 


C^e  Life  and  $Dtocntureg  of  |a>attta  Claug 


into  Necile's  bower  and  purred  softly  as  she  lay 
beside  the  babe  and  fed  it. 

So  the  little  one  flourished  and  grew  big  and 
sturdy  day  by  day,  while  Necile  taught  him  to 
speak  and  to  walk  and  to  play. 

His  thoughts  and  words  were  sweet  and  gen- 
tle, for  the  nymphs  knew  no  evil  and  their 
hearts  were  pure  and  loving.  He  became  the 
pet  of  the  forest,  for  Ak's  decree  had  forbidden 
beast  or  reptile  to  molest  him,  and  he  walked 
fearlessly  wherever  his  will  guided  him. 

Presently  the  news  reached  the  other  immor- 
tals that  the  nymphs  of  Burzee  had  adopted  a 
human  infant,  and  that  the  act  had  been  sanc- 
tioned by  the  great  Ak.  Therefore  many  of 
them  came  to  visit  the  little  stranger,  looking 
upon  him  with  much  interest.  First  the  Ryls, 
who  are  first  cousins  to  the  wood-nymphs, 
although  so  difFerently  formed.  For  the  Ryls 
are  required  to  watch  over  the  flowers  and 
plants,    as    the    nymphs    watch    over    the    forest 


Ctye  life  and  atfoenturcg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

trees.  They  search  the  wide  world  for  the  food 
required  by  the  roots  of  the  flowering  plants, 
while  the  brilliant  colors  possessed  by  the  full- 
blown flowers  are  due  to  the  dyes  placed  in  the 
soil  by  the  Ryls,  which  are  drawn  through 
the  little  veins  in  the  roots  and  the  body  of 
the  plants,  as  they  reach  maturity.  The  Ryls 
are  a  busy  people,  for  their  flowers  bloom  and 
fade  continually,  but  they  are  merry  and  light- 
hearted  and  are  very  popular  with  the  other 
immortals. 

Next  came  the  Knooks,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
watch  over  the  beasts  of  the  world,  both  gentle 
and  wild.  The  Knooks  have  a  hard  time  of  it, 
since  many  of  the  beasts  are  ungovernable  and 
rebel  against  restraint.  But  they  know  how 
to  manage  them,  after  all,  and  you  will  find 
that  certain  laws  of  the  Knooks  are  obeyed  by 
even  the  most  ferocious  animals.  Their  anxie- 
ties make  the  Knooks  look  old  and  worn  and 
crooked,  and  their  natures  are  a  bit  rough  from 

18 


Wqz  life  attD  aobetttuteg  of  £>anta  Claujs 

associating  with  wild  creatures  continually;  yet 
they  are  most  useful  to  humanity  and  to  the 
world  in  general,  as  their  laws  are  the  only  laws 
the  forest  beasts  recognize  except  those  of  the 
Master  Woodsman. 

Then  there  were  the  Fairies,  the  guardians 
of  mankind,  who  were  much  interested  in 
the  adoption  of  Claus  because  their  own  laws 
forbade  them  to  become  familiar  with  their 
human  charges.  There  are  instances  on  record 
where  the  Fairies  have  shown  themselves  to 
human  beings,  and  have  even  conversed  with 
them ;  but  they  are  supposed  to  guard  the  lives 
of  mankind  unseen  and  unknown,  and  if  they 
favor  some  people  more  than  others  it  is  because 
these  have  won  such  distinction  fairly,  as  the 
Fairies  are  very  just  and  impartial.  But  the  idea 
of  adopting  a  child  of  men  had  never  occurred 
to  them  because  it  was  in  every  way  opposed  to 
their  laws;    so  their  curiosity  was  intense  to   be- 


19 


C^e  Life  anD  atfocnttttcg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

hold  the  little  stranger  adopted  by  Necile  and 
her  sister  nymphs. 

Claus  looked  upon  the  immortals  who 
thronged  around  him  with  fearless  eyes  and 
smiling  lips.  He  rode  laughingly  upon  the 
shoulders  of  the  merry  Ryls;  he  mischievously 
pulled  the  gray  beards  of  the  low-browed 
Knooks;  he  rested  his  curly  head  confidently 
upon  the  dainty  bosom  of  the  Fairy  Queen 
herself.  And  the  Ryls  loved  the  sound  of  his 
laughter;  the  Knooks  loved  his  courage;  the 
Fairies  loved  his  innocence. 

The  boy  made  friends  of  them  all,  and 
learned  to  know  their  laws  intimately.  No  for- 
est flower  was  trampled  beneath  his  feet,  lest 
the  friendly  Ryls  should  be  grieved.  He  never 
interfered  with  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  lest  his 
friends  the  Knooks  should  become  angry.  The 
Fairies  he  loved  dearly,  but,  knowing  nothing 
of  mankind,  he  could   not   understand   that  he 


C^e  Life  ano  atfocnturcs  of  ^attta  Clang 

was  the  only  one  of  his  race  admitted  to  friendly 
intercourse  with  them. 

Indeed,  Claus  came  to  consider  that  he  alone, 
of  all  the  forest  people,  had  no  like  nor  fellow. 
To  him  the  forest  was  the  world.  He  had  no 
idea  that  millions  of  toiling,  striving  human 
creatures  existed. 

And  he  was  happy  and  content. 


YEARS  pass  swiftly  in  Burzee,  for  the 
nymphs  have  no  need  to  regard  time  in 
'any  way.  Even  centuries  make  no 
change  in  the  dainty  creatures;  ever  and  ever 
they  remain  the  same,  immortal  and  unchanging. 
Claus,  however,  being  mortal,  grew  to  man- 
hood day  by  day.  Necile  was  disturbed,  pres- 
ently, to  find  him  too  big  to  lie  in  her  lap,  and 
he  had  a  desire  for  other  food  than  milk.  His 
stout  legs  carried  him  far  into  Burzee's  heart, 
where  he  gathered  supplies  of  nuts  and  berries, 
as  well  as  several  sweet  and  wholesome  roots, 
which  suited  his  stomach  better  than  the  bell- 
udders.      He    sought    Necile's    bower    less    fre- 


C^e  life  ano  atfocnturcg  of  ^>attta  Clang 

quently,    till    finally    it    became    his    custom    to 
return  thither  only  to  sleep. 

The  nymph,  who  had  come  to  love  him 
dearly,  was  puzzled  to  comprehend  the  changed 
nature  of  her  charge,  and  unconsciously  altered 
her  own  mode  of  life  to  conform  to  his  whims. 
She  followed  him  readily  through  the  forest 
paths,  as  did  many  of  her  sister  nymphs,  ex- 
plaining as  they  walked  all  the  mysteries  of  the  J^§ 
gigantic  wood  and  the  habits  and  nature  of  the 
living  things  which  dwelt  beneath  its  shade. 

The  language  of  the  beasts  became  clear  to 
little  Claus;  but  he  never  could  understand 
their  sulky  and  morose  tempers.  Only  the 
squirrels,  the  mice  and  the  rabbits  seemed  to 
possess  cheerful  and  merry  natures;  yet  would 
the  boy  laugh  when  the  panther  growled,  and 
stroke  the  bear's  glossy  coat  while  the  creature 
snarled  and  bared  its  teeth  menacingly.  The 
growls  and  snarls  were  not  for  Claus,  he  well 
knew,  so  what  did  they  matter? 

23 


%\>t  Hit  ana  ^tfocntureg  of  ^anta  Claujs 

He  could  sing  the  songs  of  the  bees,  recite 
the  poetry  of  the  wood-flowers  and  relate  the 
history  of  every  blinking  owl  in  Burzee.  He 
helped  the  Ryls  to  feed  their  plants  and  the 
Knooks  to  keep  order  among  the  animals.  The 
little  immortals  regarded  him  as  a  privileged 
person,  being  especially  protected  by  Queen 
Zurline  and  her  nymphs  and  favored  by  the 
great   Ak   himself. 

One  day  the  Master  Woodsman  came  back  to 
the  forest  of  Burzee.  He  had  visited,  in  turn, 
all  his  forests  throughout  the  world,  and  they 
were  many  and  broad. 

Not  until  he  entered  the  glade  where  the 
Queen  and  her  nymphs  were  assembled  to  greet 
him  did  Ak  remember  the  child  he  had  per- 
mitted Necile  to  adopt.  Then  he  found,  sitting 
familiarly  in  the  circle  of  lovely  immortals,  a 
broad-shouldered,  stalwart  youth,  who,  when 
erect,  stood  fully  as  high  as  the  shoulder  of  the 
Master  himself. 

24 


Ctyc  itfc  attD  aofomtureg  of  ^>anta  Claus 

Ak  paused,  silent  and  frowning,  to  bend  his 
piercing  gaze  upon  Claus.  The  clear  eyes  met 
his  own  steadfastly,  and  the  Woodsman  gave  a 
sigh  of  relief  as  he  marked  their  placid  depths 
and  read  the  youth's  brave  and  innocent  heart. 
Nevertheless,  as  Ak  sat  beside  the  fair  Queen, 
and  the  golden  chalice,  filled  with  rare  nectar, 
passed  from  lip  to  lip,  the  Master  Woodsman 
was  strangely  silent  and  reserved,  and  stroked 
his  beard  many  times  with  a  thoughtful  motion. 

With  morning  he  called  Claus  aside,  in  kindly 
fashion,  saying : 

"  Bid  good  by,  for  a  time,  to  Necile  and  her 
sisters;  for  you  shall  accompany  me  on  my 
journey  through  the  world." 

The  venture  pleased  Claus,  who  knew  well 
the  honor  of  being  companion  of  the  Master 
Woodsman  of  the  world.  But  Necile  wept 
for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  and  clung  to  the 
boy's  neck  as  if  she  could  not  bear  to  let  him 
go.    The  nymph  who  had  mothered  this  sturdy 

25 


C^^^j/t 


Cl)e  Life  and  atfomturcg  of  ^anta  Cianjs 

youth  was  still  as  dainty,  as  charming  and  beau- 
tiful as  when  she  had  dared  to  face  Ak  with  the 
babe  clasped  to  her  breast;  nor  was  her  love 
less  great.  Ak  beheld  the  two  clinging  together, 
seemingly  as  brother  and  sister  to  one  another, 
and  again  he  wore  his  thoughtful  look. 


26 


Clang  ^tecofcerg  ^umanftt 


PH  H^AKING  Claus  to  a  small  clearing  in  the 
I  J  forest,  the  Master  said :  "  Place  your 
hand  upon  my  girdle  and  hold  fast 
while  we  journey  through  the  air;  for  now  shall 
we  encircle  the  world  and  look  upon  many  of 
the  haunts  of  those  men  from  whom  you  are 
descended." 

These  words  caused  Claus  to  marvel,  for  until 
now  he  had  thought  himself  the  only  one  of  his 
kind  upon  the  earth;  yet  in  silence  he  grasped 
firmly  the  girdle  of  the  great  Ak,  his  astonish- 
ment forbidding  speech. 

Then  the  vast  forest  of  Burzee  seemed  to  fall 
away  from  their  feet,  and  the  youth  found  him- 

27 


m$z  Life  attD  attoeittm-eg  of  ^attta  Clang 

self  passing   swiftly  through   the  air   at    a    great 
height. 

Ere  long  there  were  spires  beneath  them, 
while  buildings  of  many  shapes  and  colors  met 
their  downward  view.  It  was  a  city  of  men,  and 
Ak,  pausing  to  descend,  led  Claus  to  its  inclo- 
sure.    Said  the  Master: 

"  So  long  as  you  hold  fast  to  my  girdle  you 
will  remain  unseen  by  all  mankind,  though  see- 
ing clearly  yourself.  To  release  your  grasp  will 
be  to  separate  yourself  forever  from  me  and 
your  home  in   Burzee." 

One  of  the  first  laws  of  the  Forest  is  obedi- 
ence, and  Claus  had  no  thought  of  disobeying 
the  Master's  wish.  He  clung  fast  to  the  girdle 
and  remained  invisible. 

Thereafter  with  each  moment  passed  in  the 
city  the  youth's  wonder  grew.  He,  who  had 
supposed  himself  created  differently  from  all 
others,  now  found  the  earth  swarming  with 
creatures   of  his   own   kind. 

28 


C^e  JLtfe  ano  aofocnturcg  of  ^>anta  Claus 

"Indeed,"  said  Ak,  "the  immortals  are  few; 
but  the  mortals  are  many." 

Claus  looked  earnestly  upon  his  fellows. 
There  were  sad  faces,  gay  and  reckless  faces, 
pleasant  faces,  anxious  faces  and  kindly  faces, 
all  mingled  in  puzzling  disorder.  Some  worked 
at  tedious  tasks ;  some  strutted  in  impudent 
conceit;  some  were  thoughtful  and  grave  while 
others  seemed  happy  and  content.  Men  of 
many  natures  were  there,  as  everywhere,  and 
Claus  found  much  to  please  him  and  much  to 
make  him  sad. 

But  especially  he  noted  the  children  —  first 
curiously,  then  eagerly,  then  lovingly.  Ragged 
little  ones  rolled  in  the  dust  of  the  streets,  play- 
ing with  scraps  and  pebbles.  Other  children, 
gaily  dressed,  were  propped  upon  cushions  and 
fed  with  sugar-plums.  Yet  the  children  of  the 
rich  were  not  happier  than  those  playing  with 
the  dust  and  pebbles,  it  seemed  to  Claus. 

"  Childhood    is    the    time    of  man's    greatest 

o 

29 


Ctjc  life  ants  airtjcntitrtjs  of  ^anta  Claire 


content,"  said  Ak,  following  the  youth's 
thoughts.  "'Tis  during  these  years  of  innocent 
pleasure  that  the  little  ones  are  most  free  from 
care." 

"  Tell  me,"  said  Claus,  <<why  do  not  all  these 
babies  fare  alike?" 

"  Because  they  are  born  in  both  cottage  and 
palace,"  returned  the  Master.  "  The  difference 
in  the  wealth  of  the  parents  determines  the  lot 
of  the  child.  Some  are  carefully  tended  and 
clothed  in  silks  and  dainty  linen ;  others  are 
neglected  and  covered  with  rags." 

"  Yet  all  seem  equally  fair  and  sweet,"  said 
Claus,  thoughtfully. 

"While  they  are  babes  —  yes;"  agreed  Ak. 
"  Their  joy  is  in  being  alive,  and  they  do  not 
stop  to  think.  In  after  years  the  doom  of  man- 
kind overtakes  them,  and  they  find  they  must 
struggle  and  worry,  work  and  fret,  to  gain  the 
wealth  that  is  so  dear  to  the  hearts  of  men. 
Such  things  are  unknown  in  the    Forest  where 

3° 


Clje  life  and  ^Dftcitturcg  of  |a>attta  Clangs 

you  were  reared."  Claus  was  silent  a  moment. 
Then  he  asked: 

"  Why  was  I  reared  in  the  forest,  among 
those  who  are  not  of  my  race  ? " 

Then  Ak,  in  gentle  voice,  told  him  the  story 
of  his  babyhood :  how  he  had  been  abandoned 
at  the  forest's  edge  and  left  a  prey  to  wild 
beasts,  and  how  the  loving  nymph  Necile  had 
rescued  him  and  brought  him  to  manhood 
under  the  protection   of  the  immortals. 

"  Yet  I  am  not  of  them,"  said  Claus,  mus- 
ingly. 

"You  are  not  of  them,"  returned  the  Woods- 
man. "  The  nymph  who  cared  for  you  as  a 
mother  seems  now  like  a  sister  to  you;  by  and 
by,  when  you  grow  old  and  gray,  she  will  seem 
like  a  daughter.  Yet  another  brief  span  and  you 
will  be  but  a  memory,  while  she  remains  Necile." 

"  Then  why,  if  man  must  perish,  is  he  born  ?  " 
demanded  the  boy. 

"  Everything  perishes  except  the  world  itself 

31 


€^e  life  attti  ^LDtientxtrejs  of  |a>anta  Clang 

and  its  keepers,"  answered  Ak.  "  But  while  life 
lasts  everything  on  earth  has  its  use.  The  wise 
seek  ways  to  be  helpful  to  the  world,  for  the 
helpful  ones  are  sure  to  live  again." 

Much  of  this  Claus  failed  to  understand  fully, 
but  a  longing  seized  him  to  become  helpful  to 
his  fellows,  and  he  remained  grave  and  thought- 
ful while  they  resumed  their  journey. 

They  visited  many  dwellings  of  men  in  many 
parts  of  the  world,  watching  farmers  toil  in  the 
fields,  warriors  dash  into  cruel  fray,  and  mer- 
chants exchange  their  goods  for  bits  of  white^ 
and  yellow  metal.  And  everywhere  the  eyes  of 
Claus  sought  out  the  children  in  love  and  pity, 
for  the  thought  of  his  own  helpless  babyhood 
was  strong  within  him  and  he  yearned  to  give 
help  to  the  innocent  little  ones  of  his  race  even 
as  he  had  been  succored  by  the  kindly  nymph. 

Day  by  day  the  Master  Woodsman  and  his 
pupil  traversed  the  earth,  Ak  speaking  but  sel- 
dom to    the   youth  who  clung   steadfastly  to  his 

32 


C^e  life  ant)  atfocnturcg  of  ^attta  Clang 

girdle,  but  guiding  him  into  all  places  where  he 
might  become  familiar  with  the  lives  of  human 
beings. 

And  at  last  they  returned  to  the  grand  old 
Forest  of  Burzee,  where  the  Master  set  Claus 
down  within  the  circle  of  nymphs,  among  whom 
the  pretty  Necile  anxiously  awaited  him. 

The  brow  of  the  great  Ak  was  now  calm  and 
peaceful ;  but  the  brow  of  Claus  had  become 
lined  with  deep  thought.  Necile  sighed  at  the 
change  in  her  foster-son,  who  until  now  had 
been  ever  joyous  and  smiling,  and  the  thought 
came  to  her  that  never  again  would  the  life  of 
the  boy  be  the  same  as  before  this  eventful 
journey  with  the  Master. 


33 


*^sm 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH 
Clawg  JLcafccg  tlje  forest 

WHEN  good  Queen  Zurline  had  touched 
the  golden  chalice  with  her   fair   lips 
and  it  had  passed  around  the  circle  in 
honor    of  the    travelers'    return,    the    Master 
Woodsman    of    the   World,    who    had    not    yet 
spoken,   turned    his    gaze    frankly    upon    Claus 

jjfojjLand   said: 
Q«    "Well?" 

|f|il§     The  boy  understood,  and   rose  slowly  to   his 

feet   beside   Necile.     Once  only  his  eyes  passed 

around  the  familiar  circle  of  nymphs,  every  one 

of  whom  he  remembered  as  a  loving   comrade ; 

but   tears   came  unbidden   to   dim   his  sight,  so 

he  gazed  thereafter  steadfastly  at  the  Master. 

"  I    have    been    ignorant,"    said    he,    simply, 

34  , 


8%|//  (,  / 


€fyc  JLifc  ana  &tfotntom$  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

"  until  the  great  Ak  in  his  kindness  taught  me 
who  and  what  I  am.  You,  who  live  so  sweetly 
in  your  forest  bowers,  ever  fair  and  youthful 
and  innocent,  are  no  fit  comrades  for  a  son  of 
humanity.  For  I  have  looked  upon  man,  find- 
ing him  doomed  to  live  for  a  brief  space  upon 
earth,  to  toil  for  the  things  he  needs,  to  fade 
into  old  age,  and  then  to  pass  away  as  the 
leaves  in  autumn.  Yet  every  man  has  his  mis- 
sion, which  is  to  leave  the  world  better,  in 
some  way,  than  he  found  it.  I  am  of  the  race 
of  men,  and  man's  lot  is  my  lot.  For  your  ten- 
der care  of  the  poor,  forsaken  babe  you  adopted, 
as  well  as  for  your  loving  comradeship  during 
my  boyhood,  my  heart  will  ever  overflow  with 
gratitude.  My  foster-mother,"  here  he  stooped 
and  kissed  Necile's  white  forehead,  "  I  shall  love 
and  cherish  while  life  lasts.  But  I  must  leave 
you,  to  take  my  part  in  the  endless  struggle  to 
which  humanity  is  doomed,  and  to  live  my  life 
in  my  own  way." 

35 


€l?e  Life  auu  at&cittiircg  of  ^attta  Ctaug 


"What  will  you  do?"  asked  the  Queen, 
gravely. 

"  I  must  devote  myself  to  the  care  of  the 
children  of  mankind,  and  try  to  make  them 
happy,"  he  answered.  "  Since  your  own  tender 
care  of  a  babe  brought  to  me  happiness  and 
strength,  it  is  just  and  right  that  I  devote  my 
life  to  the  pleasure  of  other  babes.  Thus  will 
the  memory  of  the  loving  nymph  Necile  be 
planted  within  the  hearts  of  thousands  of  my 
race  for  many  years  to  come,  and  her  kindly 
act  be  recounted  in  song  and  in  story  while  the 
world  shall  last.    Have  I  spoken  well,  O  Master?  " 

"You  have  spoken  well,"  returned  Ak,  and 
rising  to  his  feet  he  continued:  "Yet  one 
thing  must  not  be  forgotten.  Having  been 
adopted  as  the  child  of  the  Forest,  and  the 
playfellow  of  the  nymphs,  you  have  gained  a 
distinction  which  forever  separates  you  from 
your  kind.  Therefore,  when  you  go  forth  into 
the  world  of  men  you  shall  retain  the  protection 

36 


Cljc  Life  and  atfocnturcg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

of  the  Forest,  and  the  powers  you  now  enjoy 
will  remain  with  you  to  assist  you  in  your  la- 
bors. In  any  need  you  may  call  upon  the 
Nymphs,  the  Ryls,  the  Knooks  and  the  Fairies, 
and  they  will  serve  you  gladly.  I,  the  Master 
Woodsman  of  the  World,  have  said  it,  and  my 
Word  is  the  Law !  " 

Claus  looked  upon  Ak  with  grateful  eyes. 

"  This  will  make  me  mighty  among  men," 
he  replied.  "  Protected  by  these  kind  friends  I 
may  be  able  to  make  thousands  of  little  chil- 
dren happy.  I  will  try  very  hard  to  do  my 
duty,  and  I  know  the  Forest  people  will  give 
me  their  sympathy  and  help. " 

"  We  will !  "  said   the  Fairy  Queen,  earnestly. 

"  We  will !  "  cried   the  merry  Ryls,  laughing. 

"  We  will !"  shouted  the  crooked  Knooks, 
scowling. 

"We  will!"  exclaimed  the  sweet  nymphs, 
proudly.  But  Necile  said  nothing.  She  only  folded 
Claus  in  her  arms  and  kissed  him  tenderly. 

37 


C^e  JLtfc  auti  ^Dticntxircjs  of  ^anta  Claujs 

"  The  world  is  big,"  continued  the  boy,  turn- 
ing again  to  his  loyal  friends,  "  but  men  are 
everywhere.  I  shall  begin  my  work  near  my 
friends,  so  that  if  I  meet  with  misfortune  I  can 
come  to  the  Forest  for  counsel  or  help." 

With  that  he  gave  them  all  a  loving  look 
and  turned  away.  There  was  no  need  to  say 
good  by,  but  for  him  the  sweet,  wild  life  of  the 
Forest  was  over.  He  went  forth  bravely  to  meet 
his  doom — the  doom  of  the  race  of  man — the 
necessity  to  worry  and  work. 

But  Ak,  who  knew  the  boy's  heart,  was  mer- 
ciful and  guided  his  steps. 

#  *  #  #  # 

Coming  through  Burzee  to  its  eastern  edge 
Claus  reached  the  Laughing  Valley  of  Hohaho. 
On  each  side  were  rolling  green  hills,  and  a 
brook  wandered  midway  between  them  to  wind 
afar  off  beyond  the  valley.  At  his  back  was  the 
grim  Forest;  at  the  far  end  of  the  valley  a  broad 

38 


Clje  life  and  9LDticnturejs  of  f^attta  Clau$ 


plain.  The  eyes  of  the  young  man,  which  had 
until  now  reflected  his  grave  thoughts,  became 
brighter  as  he  stood  silent,  looking  out  upon 
the  Laughing  Valley.  Then  on  a  sudden  his 
eyes  twinkled,  as  stars  do  on  a  still  night,  and 
grew  merry  and  wide. 

For  at  his  feet  the  cowslips  and  daisies  smiled 
on  him  in  friendly  regard;  the  breeze  whistled 
gaily  as  it  passed  by  and  fluttered  the  locks  on 
his  forehead;  the  brook  laughed  joyously  as  it 
leaped  over  the  pebbles  and  swept  around  the 
green  curves  of  its  banks ;  the  bees  sang  sweet 
songs  as  they  flew  from  dandelion  to  daffodil ; 
the  beetles  chirruped  happily  in  the  long  grass, 
and  the  sunbeams  glinted  pleasantly  over  all 
the  scene. 

"  Here,"  cried  Claus,  stretching  out  his  arms 
as  if  to  embrace  the  Valley,  "will  I  make  my 
home!" 

That  was  many,  many  years  ago.  It  has  been 
his  home  ever  since.    It  is  his  home  now. 


\  „ 

/  \ 


CHAPTER  FIRST 


/  \ 


€ljc  Laughing  Pallet 

HEN  Claus  came  the  Valley  was  empty 
save  for  the  grass,  the  brook,  the  wild- 
flowers,  the  bees  and  the  butterflies. 
If  he  would  make  his  home  here  and  live  after 
the  fashion  of  men  he  must  have  a  house.  This 
puzzled  him  at  first,  but  while  he  stood  smil- 
ing in  the  sunshine  he  suddenly  found  beside 
him  old  Nelko,  the  servant  of  the  Master 
Woodsman.  Nelko  bore  an  ax,  strong  and 
broad,  with  blade  that  gleamed  like  burnished 
silver.  This  he  placed  in  the  young  man's  hand, 
then  disappeared  without  a  word. 

Claus  understood,  and  turning  to  the  Forest's 
edge  he  selected  a  number  of  fallen  tree-trunks, 

43 


o        Cl)c  life  anD  ^ofocitturcg  of  ^attta  Claujs 


p?  which  he  began  to  clear  of  their  dead  branches. 

(j  He  would  not  cut  into  a  living  tree.  His  life 
among  the  nymphs  who  guarded  the  Forest  had 
U  taught   him  that    a  live   tree   is  sacred,  being  a 

created  thing  endowed  with  feeling.  But  with 
the  dead  and  fallen  trees  it  was  different.  They 
had  fulfilled  their  destiny,  as  active  members  of 
the  Forest  community,  and  now  it  was  fitting 
that  their  remains  should  minister  to  the  needs 
of  man. 

The  ax  bit  deep  into  the  logs  at  every  stroke. 
It  seemed  to  have  a  force  of  its  own,  and  Claus 
had  but  to  swing  and  guide  it. 

When  shadows  began  creeping  over  the  green 
hills  to  lie  in  the  Valley  overnight,  the  young 
man  had  chopped  many  logs  into  equal  lengths 
and  proper  shapes  for  building  a  house  such  as 
he  had  seen  the  poorer  classes  of  men  inhabit. 
Then,  resolving  to  await  another  day  before  he 
tried  to  fit  the  logs  together,  Claus  ate  some  of 
the  sweet  roots  he  well  knew  how  to  find,  drank 

44 


Cl)e  Lffe  anD  atfocnturcg  of  ^anta  Clangs 


deeply  from  the  laughing  brook,  and  lay  down 
to  sleep  on  the  grass,  first  seeking  a  spot  where 
no  flowers  grew,  lest  the  weight  of  his  body 
should  crush  them. 

And  while  he  slumbered  and  breathed  in  the 
perfume  of  the  wondrous  Valley  the  Spirit  of 
Happiness  crept  into  his  heart  and  drove  out 
all  terror  and  care  and  misgivings.  Never  more 
would  the  face  of  Claus  be  clouded  with  anxie- 
ties; never  more  would  the  trials  of  life  weigh 
him  down  as  with  a  burden.  The  Laughing 
Valley  had  claimed  him  for  its  own. 

Would  that  we  all  might  live  in  that  delight- 
ful place! — but  then,  maybe,  it  would  become 
overcrowded.  For  ages  it  had  awaited  a  tenant. 
Was  it  chance  that  led  young  Claus  to  make 
his  home  in  this  happy  vale  ?  Or  may  we  guess 
that  his  thoughtful  friends,  the  immortals,  had 
directed  his  steps  when  he  wandered  away  from 
Burzee  to  seek  a  home  in  the  great  world  ? 

Certain    it    is    that    while    the    moon    peered 

45 


C^e  Ltfe  and  aDtjenturejs  of  ^anta  Claws 


over  the  hilltop  and  flooded  with  its  soft  beams 
the  body  of  the  sleeping  stranger,  the  Laughing 
Valley  was  filled  with  the  queer,  crooked  shapes 
of  the  friendly  Knooks.  These  people  spoke  no 
words,  but  worked  with  skill  and  swiftness.  The 
logs  Claus  had  trimmed  with  his  bright  ax 
were  carried  to  a  spot  beside  the  brook  and 
fitted  one  upon  another,  and  during  the  night 
a  strong  and  roomy  dwelling  was  built. 

The  birds  came  sweeping  into  the  Valley  at 
daybreak,  and  their  songs,  so  seldom  heard  in 
the  deep  wood,  aroused  the  stranger.  He  rubbed 
the  web  of  sleep  from  his  eyelids  and  looked 
around.      The  house  met  his  gaze. 

"  I  must  thank  the  Knooks  for  this,"  said  he, 
gratefully.  Then  he  walked  to  his  dwelling  and 
entered  at  the  doorway.  A  large  room  faced 
him,  having  a  fireplace  at  the  end  and  a  table 
and  bench  in  the  middle.  Beside  the  fireplace 
was  a  cupboard.  Another  doorway  was  beyond. 
Claus    entered    here,    also,    and    saw    a    smaller 

46 


C^e  life  ana  atfocnttro  of  ^attta  Clang 


room  with  a  bed  against  the  wall  and  a  stool 
set  near  a  small  stand.  On  the  bed  were  many 
layers  of  dried  moss  brought  from  the  Forest. 

"  Indeed,  it  is  a  palace !  "  exclaimed  the  smil- 
ing Claus.  "  I  must  thank  the  good  Knooks 
again,  for  their  knowledge  of  man's  needs  as 
well  as  for  their  labors  in  my  behalf." 

He  left  his  new  home  with  a  glad  feeling 
that  he  was  not  quite  alone  in  the  world,  al- 
though he  had  chosen  to  abandon  his  Forest  life. 
Friendships  are  not  easily  broken,  and  the  im- 
mortals are  everywhere. 

Upon  reaching  the  brook  he  drank  of  the 
pure  water,  and  then  sat  down  on  the  bank 
to  laugh  at  the  mischievous  gambols  of  the  rip- 
ples as  they  pushed  one  another  against  rocks 
or  crowded  desperately  to  see  which  should  first 
reach  the  turn  beyond.  And  as  they  raced  away 
he  listened  to  the  song  they  sang: 


C^e  Life  anti  3tftenture0  of  ^auta  Claug 

"  Rushing,  pushing,  on  we  go ! 
Not  a  wave  may  gently  flow — 
All  are  too  excited. 
Ev'ry  drop,  delighted, 
Turns  to  spray  in  merry  play 


As  we  tumble  on  our 


way 


Next  Claus  searched  for  roots  to  eat,  while 
the  daffodils  turned  their  little  eyes  up  to  him 
laughingly  and  lisped  their  dainty  song: 

"  Blooming  fairly,  growing  rarely, 
Never  flowerets  were  so  gay ! 
Perfume  breathing,  joy  bequeathing, 
As  our  colors  we  display." 

It  made  Claus  laugh  to  hear  the  little  things 
voice  their  happiness  as  they  nodded  gracefully 
on  their  stems.  But  another  strain  caught  his 
ear  as  the  sunbeams  fell  gently  across  his  face 
and  whispered : 

48 


fltyz  life  ano  atfocnturcg  of  ^anta  Claug 

"  Here  is  gladness,  that  our  rays 

Warm  the  Valley  through  the  days; 
Here  is  happiness,  to  give 

Comfort  unto  all  who  live !  " 

"Yes!  "  cried  Claus  in  answer,  "there  is  hap- 
piness and  joy  in  all  things  here.  The  Laughing 
Valley  is  a  valley  of  peace  and  good-will." 

He  passed  the  day  talking  with  the  ants  and 
beetles  and  exchanging  jokes  with  the  light- 
hearted  butterflies.  And  at  night  he  lay  on  his 
bed  of  soft  moss  and  slept  soundly. 

Then  came  the  Fairies,  merry  but  noiseless, 
bringing  skillets  and  pots  and  dishes  and  pans 
and  all  the  tools  necessary  to  prepare  food  and 
to  comfort  a  mortal.  With  these  they  filled 
cupboard  and  fireplace,  finally  placing  a  stout 
suit  of  wool  clothing  on  the  stool  by  the  bed- 
side. 

When  Claus  awoke  he  rubbed  his  eyes  again, 
and  laughed,  and  spoke  aloud  his  thanks  to  the 

49 


Clje  life  and  aDbetttureg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

Fairies  and  the  Master  Woodsman  who  had  sent 
them.  With  eager  joy  he  examined  all  his  new 
possessions,  wondering  what  some  might  be  used 
for.  But,  in  the  days  when  he  had  clung  to  the 
girdle  of  the  great  Ak  and  visited  the  cities  of 
men,  his  eyes  had  been  quick  to  note  all  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  race  to  which  he 
belonged;  so  he  guessed  from  the  gifts  brought 
by  the  Fairies  that  the  Master  expected  him 
hereafter  to  live  in  the  fashion  of  his  fellow- 
creatures. 

"  Which  means  that  I  must  plow  the  earth 
and  plant  corn,"  he  reflected;  "so  that  when 
winter  comes  I  shall  have  garnered  food  in 
plenty." 

But,  as  he  stood  in  the  grassy  Valley,  he  saw 
that  to  turn  up  the  earth  in  furrows  would  be 
to  destroy  hundreds  of  pretty,  helpless  flowers, 
as  well  as  thousands  of  the  tender  blades  of 
grass.    And  this  he  could  not  bear  to  do. 

Therefore  he  stretched  out   his  arms  and  ut- 


5° 


%tyt  Life  anD  aDfoenttireg  of  ^anta  Claugs 

tered  a  peculiar  whistle  he  had  learned  in  the 
Forest,  afterward  crying: 

"  Ryls  of  the  Field  Flowers  —  come  to  me  !  " 

Instantly  a  dozen  of  the  queer  little  Ryls 
were  squatting  upon  the  ground  before  him, 
and  they  nodded  to  him  in  cheerful  greeting. 

Claus  gazed  upon  them  earnestly. 

"  Your  brothers  of  the  Forest,"  he  said,  "  I 
have  known  and  loved  many  years.  I  shall  love 
you,  also,  when  we  have  become  friends.  To 
me  the  laws  of  the  Ryls,  whether  those  of  the 
Forest  or  of  the  field,  are  sacred.  I  have  never 
wilfully  destroyed  one  of  the  flowers  you  tend 
so  carefully;  but  I  must  plant  grain  to  use  for 
food  during  the  cold  winter,  and  how  am  I  to 
do  this  without  killing  the  little  creatures  that 
sing  to  me  so  prettily  of  their  fragrant  blos- 
soms ?  " 

The  Yellow  Ryl,  he  who  tends  the  butter- 
cups, made  answer : 

"  Fret  not,  friend  Claus.    The   great  Ak  has 

5i 


C^e  Life  ano  atfocnturcg  of  ^>anta  Clang 

spoken  to  us  of  you.  There  is  better  work  for 
you  in  life  than  to  labor  for  food,  and  though, 
not  being  of  the  Forest,  Ak  has  no  command 
over  us,  nevertheless  are  we  glad  to  favor  one 
he  loves.  Live,  therefore,  to  do  the  good  work 
you  are  resolved  to  undertake.  We,  the  Field 
Ryls,  will  attend  to  your  food  supplies." 

After  this  speech  the  Ryls  were  no  longer  to 
be  seen,  and  Claus  drove  from  his  mind  the 
thought  of  tilling  the  earth. 

When  next  he  wandered  back  to  his  dwelling 
a  bowl  of  fresh  milk  stood  upon  the  table; 
bread  was  in  the  cupboard  and  sweet  honey 
filled  a  dish  beside  it.  A  pretty  basket  of  rosy 
apples  and  new-plucked  grapes  was  also  await- 
ing him.  He  called  out  "  Thanks,  my  friends !  " 
to  the  invisible  Ryls,  and  straightway  began  to 
eat  of  the  food. 

Thereafter,  when  hungry,  he  had  but  to 
look  into  the  cupboard  to  find  goodly  supplies 
brought  by  the    kindly  Ryls.    And   the    Knooks 

52 


C^e  Life  and  atfoenturcg  of  ^anta  Clang 

cut  and  stacked  much  wood  for  his  fireplace. 
And  the  Fairies  brought  him  warm  blankets 
and  clothing. 

So  began  his  life  in  the  Laughing  Valley, 
with  the  favor  and  friendship  of  the  immortals 
to  minister  to  his  every  want. 


S3 


T 


.CHAPTER   SECOND 


^otD  Clawjs  jttaDc  tl)e  tftrgt  Coy 


r""l  ~~^RULY  our  Claus  had  wisdom,  for  his 
good  fortune  but  strengthened  his  re- 
solve to  befriend  the  little  ones  of  his 
own  race.  He  knew  his  plan  was  approved  by 
the  immortals,  else  they  would  not  have  favored 
him  so  greatly. 

So  he  began  at  once  to  make  acquaintance 
with  mankind.  He  walked  through  the  Valley 
to  the  plain  beyond,  and  crossed  the  plain  in 
many  directions  to  reach  the  abodes  of  men. 
These  stood  singly  or  in  groups  of  dwellings 
called  villages,  and  in  nearly  all  the  houses, 
whether  big  or  little,  Claus  found  children. 

The  youngsters  soon  came  to  know  his  merry, 
laughing  face  and  the  kind  glance  of  his  bright 

54 


%ty  Itfe  ano  aDbeittutejs  of  ^anta  Claus 

eyes;  and  the  parents,  while  they  regarded  the 
young  man  with  some  scorn  for  loving  children 
more  than  their  elders,  were  content  that  the 
girls  and  boys  had  found  a  playfellow  who 
seemed  willing  to  amuse  them. 

So  the  children  romped  and  played  games 
with  Claus,  and  the  boys  rode  upon  his 
shoulders,  and  the  girls  nestled  in  his  strong 
arms,  and  the  babies  clung  fondly  to  his  knees. 
Wherever  the  young  man  chanced  to  be,  the 
sound  of  childish  laughter  followed  him;  and  to 
understand  this  better  you  must  know  that  chil- 
dren were  much  neglected  in  those  days  and  re- 
ceived little  attention  from  their  parents,  so  that 
it  became  to  them  a  marvel  that  so  goodly  a 
man  as  Claus  devoted  his  time  to  making  them 
happy.  And  those  who  knew  him  were,  you 
may  be  sure,  very  happy  indeed.  The  sad  faces 
of  the  poor  and  abused  grew  bright  for  once; 
the  cripple  smiled  despite  his  misfortune;  the 
ailing  ones  hushed  their  moans  and  the  grieved 


*•••« 


C^e  Life  ana  aafoentureg  of  ^anta  Claujs 


ones  their  cries  when  their  merry  friend  came 
nigh  to  comfort  them. 

Only  at  the  beautiful  palace  of  the  Lord  of 
Lerd  and  at  the  frowning  castle  of  the  Baron 
Braun  was  Claus  refused  admittance.  There 
were  children  at  both  places  ;  but  the  servants 
at  the  palace  shut  the  door  in  the  young  stran- 
ger's face,  and  the  fierce  Baron  threatened  to 
hang  him  from  an  iron  hook  on  the  castle  walls. 
Whereupon  Claus  sighed  and  went  back  to  the 
poorer  dwellings  where  he  was  welcome. 

After  a  time  the  winter  drew  near. 

The  flowers  lived  out  their  lives  and  faded 
and  disappeared;  the  beetles  burrowed  far  into 
the  warm  earth;  the  butterflies  deserted  the 
meadows;  and  the  voice  of  the  brook  grew 
hoarse,  as  if  it  had  taken  cold. 

One  day  snowflakes  filled  all  the  air  in  the 
Laughing  Valley,  dancing  boisterously  toward 
the  earth  and  clothing  in  pure  white  raiment 
the  roof  of  Claus's  dwelling. 

S6 


€l)e  Life  ana  aMjcntureg  of  ^anta  Claus 


At  night  Jack  Frost  rapped  at  the  door. 

"  Come  in  !  "  cried  Claus. 

"  Come  out!  "  answered  Jack,  «  for  you  have 
a  fire  inside." 

So  Claus  came  out.  He  had  known  Jack 
Frost  in  the  Forest,  and  liked  the  jolly  rogue, 
even  while  he  mistrusted  him. 

"  There  will  be  rare  sport  for  me  to-night, 
Claus!  "  shouted  the  sprite.  "Isn't  this  glorious 
weather  ?  I  shall  nip  scores  of  noses  and  ears 
and  toes  before  daybreak." 

"If  you  love  me,  Jack,  spare  the  children," 
begged  Claus. 

"And  why?"   asked  the  other,  in  surprise. 

"They  are  tender  and  helpless,"  answered 
Claus. 

"  But  I  love  to  nip  the  tender  ones !  "  de- 
clared Jack.  "  The  older  ones  are  tough,  and 
tire  my  fingers." 

"  The  young  ones  are  weak,  and  can  not  fight 
you,"  said  Claus. 

57 


Ci)e  life  anD  awjentiiress  of  ^>anta  Clause 


"True,"  agreed  Jack,  thoughtfully.  "Well,  I 
will  not  pinch  a  child  this  night  —  if  I  can  re- 
sist the  temptation,"  he  promised.  "  Good  night, 
Glaus !  " 

"  Good  night." 

The  young  man  went  in  and  closed  the  door, 
and  Jack  Frost  ran  on  to  the  nearest  village. 

Claus  threw  a  log  on  the  fire,  which  burned 
up  brightly.  Beside  the  hearth  sat  Blinkie,  a 
big  cat  given  him  by  Peter  the  Knook.  Her  fur 
was  soft  and  glossy,  and  she  purred  never-ending 
songs  of  contentment. 

"  I  shall  not  see  the  children  again  soon,"  said 
Claus  to  the  cat,  who  kindly  paused  in  her  song 
to  listen.  "  The  winter  is  upon  us,  the  snow  will 
be  deep  for  many  days,  and  I  shall  be  unable  to 
play  with  my  little  friends." 

The  cat  raised  a  paw  and  stroked  her  nose 
thoughtfully,  but  made  no  reply.  So  long  as 
the  fire  burned  and  Claus  sat  in  his  easy  chair 
by  the  hearth  she  did  not  mind  the  weather. 

58 


C^e  Life  ano  atfoeutureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

So  passed  many  days  and  many  long  evenings. 
The  cupboard  was  always  full,  but  Claus  became 
weary  with  having  nothing  to  do  more  than  to 
feed  the  fire  from  the  big  wood-pile  the  Knooks 
had  brought  him. 

One  evening  he  picked  up  a  stick  of  wood 
and  began  to  cut  it  with  his  sharp  knife.  He 
had  no  thought,  at  first,  except  to  occupy  his 
time,  and  he  whistled  and  sang  to  the  cat  as  he 
carved  away  portions  of  the  stick.  Puss  sat  up 
on  her  haunches  and  watched  him,  listening  at 
the  same  time  to  her  master's  merry  whistle, 
which  she  loved  to  hear  even  more  than  her 
own  purring  songs. 

Claus  glanced  at  puss  and  then  at  the  stick 
he  was  whittling,  until  presently  the  wood  be- 
gan to  have  a  shape,  and  the  shape  was  like  the 
head  of  a  cat,  with  two  ears  sticking  upward. 

Claus  stopped  whistling  to  laugh,  and  then 
both  he  and  the  cat  looked  at  the  wooden  image 
in  some  surprise.     Then  he  carved  out  the  eyes 

59 


Ctje  JLtfe  ana  atfoctttureg  of  ^>attta  Claujs 

and  the  nose,  and  rounded  the  lower  part  of  the 
head  so  that  it  rested  upon  a  neck- 
Puss  hardly  knew  what  to  make  of  it  now, 
and  sat  up  stiffly,  as  if  watching  with  some  sus- 
picion what  would  come  next. 

Claus  knew.  The  head  gave  him  an  idea.  He 
plied  his  knife  carefully  and  with  skill,  forming 
slowly  the  body  of  the  cat,  which  he  made  to  sit 
upon  its  haunches  as  the  real  cat  did,  with  her 
tail  wound  around  her  two  front  legs. 

The  work  cost  him  much  time,  but  the  even- 
ing was  long  and  he  had  nothing  better  to  do. 
Finally  he  gave  a  loud  and  delighted  laugh  at 
]  the  result  of  his  labors  and  placed  the  wooden 
cat,  now  completed,  upon  the  hearth  opposite 
the  real  one. 

Puss   thereupon   glared   at   her  image,  raised 
'    her  hair   in   anger,  and  uttered  a  defiant   mew. 
The  wooden  cat  paid  no  attention,  and   Claus, 
much  amused,  laughed  again. 

Then    Blinkie  advanced   toward   the  wooden 

60 


Ctye  Lffc  anD  aofocuturcg  of  ^>anta  Clatijs 

image  to  eye  it  closely  and  smell  of  it  intel- 
ligently. Eyes  and  nose  told  her  the  creature 
was  wood,  in  spite  of  its  natural  appearance ; 
so  puss  resumed  her  seat  and  her  purring,  but 
as  she  neatly  washed  her  face  with  her  padded 
paw  she  cast  more  than  one  admiring  glance  at 
her  clever  master.  Perhaps  she  felt  the  same 
satisfaction  we  feel  when  we  look  upon  good  J£y 
photographs  of  ourselves.  '^pl 

The  cat's  master  was  himself  pleased  with  his 
handiwork,  without  knowing  exactly  why.  In- 
deed, he  had  great  cause  to  congratulate  himself 
that  night,  and  all  the  children  throughout  the 
world  should  have  joined  him  in  rejoicing.  For 
Claus  had  made  his  first  toy. 


6t 


CHAPTER  THIRD 


f  oto  tl)c  3W  ColotcD  tyz  €o?$ 


A  HUSH  lay  on  the  Laughing  Valley  now. 
Snow  covered  it  like  a  white  spread  and 
pillows  of  downy  flakes  drifted  before 
the  dwelling  where  Claus  sat  feeding  the  blaze 
of  the  fire.  The  brook  gurgled  on  beneath  a 
heavy  sheet  of  ice  and  all  living  plants  and  in- 
sects nestled  close  to  Mother  Earth  to  keep 
warm.  The  face  of  the  moon  was  hid  by  dark 
clouds,  and  the  wind,  delighting  in  the  wintry 
sport,  pushed  and  whirled  the  snowflakes  in  so 
many  directions  that  they  could  get  no  chance 
to  fall  to  the  ground. 

Claus  heard  the  wind  whistling  and  shrieking 
in  its  play  and  thanked  the  good  Knooks  again 
for  his  comfortable  shelter.     Blinkie  washed  her 


Ctye  Life  and  aotoetttut^  of  ^attta  Clang 

face  lazily  and  stared  at  the  coals  with  a  look 
of  perfect  content.  The  toy  cat  sat  opposite  the 
real  one  and  gazed  straight  ahead,  as  toy  cats 
should. 

Suddenly  Claus  heard  a  noise  that  sounded 
different  from  the  voice  of  the  wind.  It  was 
more  like  a  wail  of  suffering  and  despair. 

He  stood  up  and  listened,  but  the  wind, 
growing  boisterous,  shook  the  door  and  rattled 
the  windows  to  distract  his  attention.  He 
waited  until  the  wind  was  tired  and  then,  still 
listening,  he  heard  once  more  the  shrill  cry  of 
distress. 

Quickly  he  drew  on  his  coat,  pulled  his  cap 
over  his  eyes  and  opened  the  door.  The  wind 
dashed  in  and  scattered  the  embers  over  the 
hearth,  at  the  same  time  blowing  Blinkie's  fur 
so  furiously  that  she  crept  under  the  table  to 
escape.  Then  the  door  was  closed  and  Claus 
was  outside,  peering  anxiously  into  the  darkness. 

The  wind   laughed  and  scolded  and  tried  to 

63 


C^e  Life  and  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claus 

push  him  over,  but  he  stood  firm.  The  help- 
less flakes  stumbled  against  his  eyes  and  dimmed 
his  sight,  but  he  rubbed  them  away  and  looked 
again.  Snow  was  everywhere,  white  and  glitter- 
ing.   It  covered  the  earth  and  filled  the  air. 

The  cry  was  not  repeated. 

Claus  turned  to  go  back  into  the  house,  but 
the  wind  caught  him  unawares  and  he  stumbled 
and  fell  across  a  snowdrift.  His  hand  plunged 
into  the  drift  and  touched  something  that  was 
not  snow.  This  he  seized  and,  pulling  it  gently 
toward  him,  found  it  to  be  a  child.  The  next 
moment  he  had  lifted  it  in  his  arms  and  carried 
it  into  the  house. 

The  wind  followed  him  through  the  door, 
but  Claus  shut  it  out  quickly.  He  laid  the  res- 
cued child  on  the  hearth,  and  brushing  away 
the  snow  he  discovered  it  to  be  Weekum,  a  little 
boy  who  lived  in  a  house  beyond  the  Valley. 

Claus  wrapped  a  warm  blanket  around  the 
little  one  and  rubbed  the  frost  from  his  limbs. 

64 


%\\t  Hit  ano  atfoenturcss  of  ^anta  Claus 


Before  long  the  child  opened  his  eyes  and,  see- 
ing where  he  was,  smiled  happily.  Then  Claus 
warmed  milk  and  fed  it  to  the  boy  slowly,  while 
the  cat  looked  on  with  sober  curiosity.  Finally 
the  little  one  curled  up  in  his  friend's  arms  and 
sighed  and  fell  asleep,  and  Claus,  filled  with 
gladness  that  he  had  found  the  wanderer,  held 
him  closely  while  he  slumbered. 

The  wind,  finding  no  more  mischief  to  do, 
climbed  the  hill  and  swept  on  toward  the  north. 
This  gave  the  weary  snowflakes  time  to  settle 
down  to  earth,  and  the  Valley  became  still  again. 

The  boy,  having  slept  well  in  the  arms  of  his 
friend,  opened  his  eyes  and  sat  up.  Then,  as  a 
child  will,  he  looked  around  the  room  and  saw 
all  that  it  contained. 

"  Your  cat  is  a  nice  cat,  Claus,"  he  said,  at 
last.    "  Let  me  hold  it." 

But  puss  objected  and  ran  away. 

"The  other  cat  won't  run,  Claus,"  continued 
the  boy.    "  Let  me  hold  that  one."    Claus  placed 

65 


Ctyc  life  and  atfocuturcg  of  ^anta  Clang 

the  toy  in  his  arms,  and  the  boy  held  it  lovingly 
and  kissed  the  tip  of  its  wooden  ear. 

"  How  did  you  get  lost  in  the  storm,  Week- 
um  ?  "  asked  Claus. 

"  I  started  to  walk  to  my  auntie's  house  and 
lost  my  way,"  answered  Weekum. 

"  Were  you  frightened  ?  " 

"  It  was  cold,"  said  Weekum,  "  and  the  snow 
got  in  my  eyes,  so  I  could  not  see.  Then  I  kept 
on  till  I  fell  in  the  snow,  without  knowing  where 
I  was,  and  the  wind  blew  the  flakes  over  me  and 
covered  me  up." 

Claus  gently  stroked  his  head,  and  the  boy 
looked  up  at  him  and  smiled. 

"  I'm  all  right  now,"  said  Weekum. 

"Yes,"  replied  Claus,  happily.  "Now  I  will 
put  you  in  my  warm  bed,  and  you  must  sleep 
until  morning,  when  I  will  carry  you  back  to 
your  mother." 

"  May  the  cat  sleep  with  me? "  asked  the  boy. 

"  Yes,  if  you  wish  it  to,"  answered  Claus. 

66 


C^e  Life  ano  atfoentureg  of  ^>attta  Ciaujs 

"  It's  a  nice  cat !  "  Weekum  said,  smiling,  as 
Claus  tucked  the  blankets  around  him ;  and 
presently  the  little  one  fell  asleep  with  the 
wooden  toy  in  his  arms. 

When  morning  came  the  sun  claimed  the 
Laughing  Valley  and  flooded  it  with  his  rays; 
so  Claus  prepared  to  take  the  lost  child  back 
to  its  mother. 

"  May  I  keep  the  cat,  Claus  ?  "  asked  Week- 
um. "  It's  nicer  than  real  cats.  It  doesn't  run 
away,  or  scratch  or  bite.    May  I  keep  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,"  answered  Claus,  pleased  that 
the  toy  he  had  made  could  give  pleasure  to  the 
child.  So  he  wrapped  the  boy  and  the  wooden 
cat  in  a  warm  cloak,  perching  the  bundle  upon 
his  own  broad  shoulders,  and  then  he  tramped 
through  the  snow  and  the  drifts  of  the  Valley 
and  across  the  plain  beyond  to  the  poor  cottage 
where  Weekum's  mother  lived. 

"See,  mama!  "  cried  the  boy,  as  soon  as  they 
entered,  "  I've  got  a  cat !  " 

67 


C^e  Life  ano  atfoctrtmreg  of  ^anta  Clang 

The  good  woman  wept  tears  of  joy  over  the 
rescue  of  her  darling  and  thanked  Claus  many 
times  for  his  kind  act.  So  he  carried  a  warm 
and  happy  heart  back  to  his  home  in  the  Valley. 

That  night  he  said  to  puss :  "  I  believe  the 
children  will  love  the  wooden  cats  almost  as  well 
as  the  real  ones,  and  they  can't  hurt  them  by 
pulling  their  tails  and  ears.    I'll  make  another." 

So  this  was  the  beginning  of  his  great  work. 

The  next  cat  was  better  made  than  the  first. 
While  Claus  sat  whittling  it  out  the  Yellow  Ryl 
came  in  to  make  him  a  visit,  and  so  pleased 
was  he  with  the  man's  skill  that  he  ran  away 
and  brought  several  of  his  fellows. 

There  sat  the  Red  Ryl,  the  Black  Ryl,  the 
Green  Ryl,  the  Blue  Ryl  and  the  Yellow  Ryl  in 
a  circle  on  the  floor,  while  Claus  whittled  and 
whistled  and  the  wooden  cat  grew  into  shape. 

"  If  it  could  be  made  the  same  color  as  the 
real  cat,  no  one  would  know  the  difference," 
said  the  Yellow  Ryl,  thoughtfully, 


C^e  Lift  ano  &mntmc$  of  £>anta  CIau£ 


"  The  little  ones,  maybe,  would  not  know  the 
difference,"  replied  Claus,  pleased  with  the  idea. 
"  I  will  bring  you  some  of  the  red  that  I  color 
my  roses  and  tulips  with,"  cried  the  Red  Ryl; 
"and  then  you  can  make  the  cat's  lips  and 
tongue  red." 

«  I  will  bring  some  of  the  green  that  I  color 
my  grasses  and  leaves  with,"  said  the  Green 
Ryl;  "and  then  you  can  color  the  cat's  eyes 
green." 

"  They  will  need  a  bit  of  yellow,  also,"  re- 
marked the  Yellow  Ryl ;  «  I  must  fetch  some  of 
the  yellow  that  I  use  to  color  my  buttercups 
and  goldenrods  with." 

"  The  real  cat  is  black,"  said  the  Black  Ryl; 
"  I  will  bring  some  of  the  black  that  I  use  to 
color  the  eyes  of  my  pansies  with,  and  then  you 
can  paint  your  wooden  cat  black." 

"  I  see  you  have  a  blue  ribbon  around  Blink- 
ie's  neck,"  added  the  Blue  Ryl.  "I  will  get 
some  of  the  color  that  I  use  to  paint  the  blue- 

69 


Cljc  Life  and  atfoctrtiircg  of  ^attta  Claim 

bells  and  forget-me-nots  with,  and  then  you  can 
carve  a  wooden  ribbon  on  the  toy  cat's  neck 
and  paint  it  blue." 

So  the  Ryls  disappeared,  and  by  the  time 
Claus  had  finished  carving  out  the  form  of  the 
cat  they  were  all  back  with  the  paints  and 
brushes. 

They  made  Blinkie  sit  upon  the  table,  that 
Claus  might  paint  the  toy  cat  just  the  right 
color,  and  when  the  work  was  done  the  Ryls 
declared  it  was  exactly  as  good  as  a  live  cat. 

"  That  is,  to  all  appearances,"  added  the  Red 
Ryl. 

Blinkie  seemed  a  little  offended  by  the  atten- 
tion bestowed  upon  the  toy,  and  that  she  might 
not  seem  to  approve  the  imitation  cat  she  walked 
to  the  corner  of  the  hearth  and  sat  down  with 
a  dignified  air. 

But  Claus  was  delighted,  and  as  soon  as  morn- 
ing came  he  started  out  and  tramped  through 
the  snow,  across  the  Valley  and  the  plain,  until 

70 


C^e  Life  attD  atfomtutrejs  of  ^anta  Claug 


he  came  to  a  village.  There,  in  a  poor  hut  near 
the  walls  of  the  beautiful  palace  of  the  Lord  of 
Lerd,  a  little  girl  lay  upon  a  wretched  cot, 
moaning  with  pain. 

Claus  approached  the  child  and  kissed  her 
and  comforted  her,  and  then  he  drew  the  toy 
cat  from  beneath  his  coat,  where  he  had  hidden 
it,  and  placed  it  in  her  arms. 

Ah,  how  well  he  felt  himself  repaid  for  his 
labor  and  his  long  walk  when  he  saw  the  little 
one's  eyes  grow  bright  with  pleasure!  She  hugged 
the  kitty  tight  to  her  breast,  as  if  it  had  been 
a  precious  gem,  and  would  not  let  it  go  for  a 
single  moment.  The  fever  was  quieted,  the  pain 
grew  less,  and  she  fell  into  a  sweet  and  refresh- 
ing sleep. 

Claus  laughed  and  whistled  and  sang  all  the 
way  home.  Never  had  he  been  so  happy  as  on 
that  day. 

When  he  entered  his  house  he  found  Shiegra, 
the   lioness,  awaiting  him.    Since   his  babyhood 

71 


C^e  Life  attD  atfocntureg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

Shiegra  had  loved  Claus,  and  while  he  dwelt 
in  the  Forest  she  had  often  come  to  visit  him 
at  Necile's  bower.  After  Claus  had  gone  to 
live  in  the  Laughing  Valley  Shiegra  became 
lonely  and  ill  at  ease,  and  now  she  had  braved 
the  snow-drifts,  which  all  lions  abhor,  to  see  him 
once  more.  Shiegra  was  getting  old  and  her 
teeth  were  beginning  to  fall  out,  while  the  hairs 
that  tipped  her  ears  and  tail  had  changed  from 
tawny-yellow  to  white. 

Claus  found  her  lying  on  his  hearth,  and  he 
put  his  arms  around  the  neck  of  the  lioness  and 
hugged  her  lovingly.  The  cat  had  retired  into 
a  far  corner.  She  did  not  care  to  associate  with 
Shiegra. 

Claus  told  his  old  friend  about  the  cats  he 
had  made,  and  how  much  pleasure  they  had 
given  Weekum  and  the  sick  girl.  Shiegra  did 
not  know  much  about  children  ;  indeed,  if  she 
met  a  child  she  could  scarcely  be  trusted  not  to 


72 


C^e  Life  attti  aofocntiro  of  ^anta  Claujg 

devour  it.    But  she  was  interested  in  Claus'  new 
labors,  and  said  : 

"  These  images  seem  to  me  very  attractive. 
Yet  I  can  not  see  why  you  should  make  cats, 
which  are  very  unimportant  animals.  Suppose, 
now  that  I  am  here,  you  make  the  image  of  a 
lioness,  the  Queen  of  all  beasts.  Then,  indeed, 
your  children  will  be  happy — and  safe  at  the 
same  time  !  " 

Claus  thought  this  was  a  good  suggestion.    So 
he  got  a  piece  of  wood  and  sharpened  his  knife, 
while  Shiegra  crouched  upon   the   hearth  at  his 
feet.    With  much  care  he  carved  the  head  in  the 
likeness   of  the   lioness,  even  to   the  two  fierce 
teeth   that   curved   over   her   lower   lip  and  the 
deep,  frowning  lines  above  her  wide-open  eyes. 
When  it  was  finished  he  said : 
"  You  have  a  terrible  look,  Shiegra." 
"  Then  the  image  is  like  me,"  she  answered; 
"  for  I  am  indeed  terrible  to  all  who  are  not  my 
friends." 

73 


€^e  life  and  aofocntuteg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

Claus  now  carved  out  the  body,  with  Shiegra's 
long  tail  trailing  behind  it.  The  image  of  the 
crouching  lioness  was  very  life-like. 

"  It  pleases  me,"  said  Shiegra,  yawning  and 
stretching  her  body  gracefully.  "  Now  I  will 
watch  while  you  paint." 

He  brought  the  paints  the  Ryls  had  given 
him  from  the  cupboard  and  colored  the  image 
to  resemble  the  real  Shiegra. 

The  lioness  placed  her  big,  padded  paws  upon 
the  edge  of  the  table  and  raised  herself  while 
she  carefully  examined  the  toy  that  was  her  like- 
ness. 

"  You  are  indeed  skilful!  "  she  said,  proudly. 
"  The  children  will  like  that  better  than  cats, 
I'm  sure." 

Then  snarling  at  Blinkie,  who  arched  her  back 
in  terror  and  whined  fearfully,  she  walked  away 
toward  her  forest  home  with  stately  strides. 


CHAPTER  FOURTH 

^oto  tittle  jHa?rie  Became  frightened 

THE  winter  was  over  now,  and  all  the 
Laughing  Valley  was  filled  with  joyous 
excitement.  The  brook  was  so  happy  at 
being  free  once  again  that  it  gurgled  more  bois- 
terously than  ever  and  dashed  so  recklessly 
against  the  rocks  that  it  sent  showers  of  spray 
high  in  the  air.  The  grass  thrust  its  sharp  little 
blades  upward  through  the  mat  of  dead  stalks 
where  it  had  hidden  from  the  snow,  but  the 
flowers  were  yet  too  timid  to  show  themselves, 
although  the  Ryls  were  busy  feeding  their  roots. 
The  sun  was  in  remarkably  good  humor,  and 
sent  his  rays  dancing  merrily  throughout  the 
Valley. 

75 


€^e  Life  ano  atfoentutcjs  of  ^>anta  Claujs 


Claus  was  eating  his  dinner  one  day  when  he 
heard  a  timid  knock  on  his  door. 

"  Come  in  !  "   he  called. 

No  one  entered,  but  after  a  pause  came  an- 
other rapping. 

Claus  jumped  up  and  threw  open  the  door. 
Before  him  stood  a  small  girl  holding  a  smaller 
brother  fast  by  the  hand. 

"  Is  you  Tlaus  ?  "  she  asked,  shyly. 

"Indeed  I  am,  my  dear!  "  he  answered,  with 
a  laugh,  as  he  caught  both  children  in  his 
arms  and  kissed  them.  "You  are  very  welcome, 
and  you  have  come  just  in  time  to  share  my 
dinner." 

He  took  them  to  the  table  and  fed  them  with 
fresh  milk  and  nut-cakes.  When  they  had  eaten 
enough  he  asked : 

"Why  have  you  made  this  long  journey  to 
see  me  ?  " 

"  I  wants  a  tat !  "  replied  little  Mayrie ;  and 
her  brother,  who  had  not  yet  learned  to  speak 

76 


C^e  Life  ana  atfocnturcg  of  ^anta  Clang 

many  words,  nodded  his  head  and  exclaimed 
like  an  echo  :    "  Tat !  " 

"  Oh,  you  want  my  toy  cats,  do  you  ?  "  re- 
turned Claus,  greatly  pleased  to  discover  that 
his  creations  were  so  popular  with  children. 

The  little  visitors  nodded  eagerly. 

"  Unfortunately,"  he  continued,  "  I  have  but 
one  cat  now  ready,  for  I  carried  two  to  children 
in  the  town  yesterday.  And  the  one  I  have 
shall  be  given  to  your  brother,  Mayrie,  because 
he  is  the  smaller;  and  the  next  one  I  make 
shall  be  for  you." 

The  boy's  face  was  bright  with  smiles  as  he 
took  the  precious  toy  Claus  held  out  to  him ; 
but  little  Mayrie  covered  her  face  with  her  arm 
and  began  to  sob  grievously. 

"I — I — I  wants  a  t — t — tat  now!"  she 
wailed. 

Her  disappointment  made  Claus  feel  miser- 
able for  a  moment.  Then  he  suddenly  remem- 
bered Shiegra. 

77 


€;^e  life  anD  atfoenturcg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

"  Don't  cry,  darling!"  he  said,  soothingly;  "I 
have  a  toy  much  nicer  than  a  cat,  and  you  shall 
have  that." 

He  went  to  the  cupboard  and  drew  out  the 
image  of  the  lioness,  which  he  placed  on  the 
table  before  Mayrie. 

The  girl  raised  her  arm  and  gave  one  glance 
at  the  fierce  teeth  and  glaring  eyes  of  the  beast, 
and  then,  uttering  a  terrified  scream,  she  rushed 
from  the  house.  The  boy  followed  her,  also 
screaming  lustily,  and  even  dropping  his  pre- 
cious cat  in  his  fear. 

For  a  moment  Claus  stood  motionless,  being 
puzzled  and  astonished.  Then  he  threw  Shieg- 
ra's  image  into  the  cupboard  and  ran  after  the 
children,  calling  to   them  not  to   be  frightened. 

Little  Mayrie  stopped  in  her  flight  and  her 
brother  clung  to  her  skirt;  but  they  both  cast 
fearful  glances  at  the  house  until  Claus  had  as- 
sured them  many  times  that  the  beast  had  been 
locked  in  the  cupboard. 

78 


C^e  Life  anti  atfoetttuteis  of  ^>attta  Claug 

"  Yet  why  were  you  frightened  at  seeing  it  ?  " 
he  asked.    "  It  is  only  a  toy  to  play  with  ! 

"  It's  bad  !  "  said  Mayrie,  decidedly,  "  an' — 
an' — just  horrid,  an'  not  a  bit  nice,  like  tats!  " 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  returned  Claus, 
thoughtfully.  "  But  if  you  will  return  with  me 
to  the  house  I  will  soon  make  you  a  pretty  cat." 

So  they  timidly  entered  the  house  again,  hav- 
ing faith  in  their  friend's  words ;  and  afterward 
they  had  the  joy  of  watching  Claus  carve  out  a 
cat  from  a  bit  of  wood  and  paint  it  in  natural 
colors.  It  did  not  take  him  long  to  do  this,  for 
he  had  become  skilful  with  his  knife  by  this 
time,  and  Mayrie  loved  her  toy  the  more  dearly 
because  she  had  seen  it  made. 

After  his  little  visitors  had  trotted  away  on 
their  journey  homeward  Claus  sat  long  in  deep 
thought.  And  he  then  decided  that  such  fierce 
creatures  as  his  friend  the  lioness  would  never 
do  as  models  from  which  to  fashion  his  toys. 

"  There  must  be  nothing  to  frighten  the  dear 

79 


C^e  Iffe  ana  atfoettttros  of  ^aitta  Claug 

babies,"  he  reflected;  "and  while  I  know  Shiegra 
well,  and  am  not  afraid  of  her,  it  is  but  natural 
that  children  should  look  upon  her  image  with 
terror.  Hereafter  I  will  choose  such  mild-man- 
nered animals  as  squirrels  and  rabbits  and  deer  and 
lambkins  from  which  to  carve  my  toys,  for  then 
the   little  ones  will  love  rather  than  fear  them." 

He  began  his  work  that  very  day,  and  before 
bedtime  had  made  a  wooden  rabbit  and  a  lamb. 
They  were  not  quite  so  lifelike  as  the  cats  had 
been,  because  they  were  formed  from  memory, 
while  Blinkie  had  sat  very  still  for  Claus  to  look 
at  while  he  worked. 

But  the  new  toys  pleased  the  children  never- 
theless, and  the  fame  of  Claus'  playthings  quickly 
spread  to  every  cottage  on  plain  and  in  village. 
He  always  carried  his  gifts  to  the  sick  or  crippled 
children,  but  those  who  were  strong  enough 
walked  to  the  house  in  the  Valley  to  ask  for 
them,  so  a  little  path  was  soon  worn  from  the 
plain  to  the  door  of  the  toy-maker's  cottage. 

80 


C^c  Life  ano  aobcnturcg  of  ^>attta  Claus 

First  came  the  children  who  had  been  play- 
mates of  Claus,  before  he  began  to  make  toys. 
These,  you  may  be  sure,  were  well  supplied. 
Then  children  who  lived  farther  away  heard  of 
the  wonderful  images  and  made  journeys  to  the 
Valley  to  secure  them.  All  little  ones  were 
welcome,  and  never  a  one  went  away  empty- 
handed. 

This  demand  for  his  handiwork  kept  Claus 
busily  occupied,  but  he  was  quite  happy  in 
knowing  the  pleasure  he  gave  to  so  many  of 
the  dear  children.  His  friends  the  immortals 
were  pleased  with  his  success  and  supported 
him    bravely. 

The  Knooks  selected  for  him  clear  pieces 
of  soft  wood,  that  his  knife  might  not  be 
blunted  in  cutting  them ;  the  Ryls  kept  him 
supplied  with  paints  of  all  colors  and  brushes 
fashioned  from  the  tips  of  timothy  grasses ;  the 
Fairies  discovered  that  the  workman  needed  saws 
and   chisels   and   hammers   and   nails,  as  well  as 


C^e  life  ano  atfoctttureg  of  ^attta  Clauss 

knives,  and  brought  him  a  goodly  array  of  such 
tools. 

Claus  soon  turned  his  living  room  into  a  most 
wonderful  workshop.  He  built  a  bench  before 
the  window,  and  arranged  his  tools  and  paints 
so  that  he  could  reach  everything  as  he  sat  on 
his  stool.  And  as  he  finished  toy  after  toy  to 
delight  the  hearts  of  little  children  he  found 
himself  growing  so  gay  and  happy  that  he  could 
not  refrain  from  singing  and  laughing  and  whist- 
ling all  the  day  long. 

"  It's  because  I  live  in  the  Laughing  Valley, 
where  everything  else  laughs !  "  said  Claus. 

But  that  was  not  the  reason. 


82 


i^oto  I3e$i3fe  I3ltt^e0ome  Came  to  t^e  lauding  ballet 


ONE  day,  as  Claus  sat  before  his  door  to 
enjoy  the  sunshine  while  he  busily  carved 
the  head  and  horns  of  a   toy  deer,  he 
looked  up  and  discovered  a  glittering  cavalcade 
of  horsemen  approaching  through  the  Valley. 

When  they  drew  nearer  he  saw  that  the  band 
consisted  of  a  score  of  men-at-arms,  clad  in 
bright  armor  and  bearing  in  their  hands  spears 
and  battle-axes.  In  front  of  these  rode  little 
Bessie  Blithesome,  the  pretty  daughter  of  that 
proud  Lord  of  Lerd  who  had  once  driven  Claus 
from  his  palace.  Her  palfrey  was  pure  white, 
its  bridle  was  covered  with  glittering  gems, 
and  its  saddle  draped  with  cloth  of  gold,  richly 

83 


C^e  iLtfc  anD  aDfeentweg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

broidered.  The  soldiers  were  sent  to  protect 
her  from  harm  while  she  journeyed. 

Claus  was  surprised,  but  he  continued  to 
whittle  and  to  sing  until  the  cavalcade  drew 
up  before  him.  Then  the  little  girl  leaned  over 
the  neck  of  her  palfrey  and  said : 

"  Please,  Mr.  Claus,  I  want  a  toy!  " 

Her  voice  was  so  pleading  that  Claus  jumped 
up  at  once  and  stood  beside  her.  But  he  was 
puzzled  how  to  answer  her  request. 

"You  are  a  rich  lord's  daughter,"  said  he, 
"  and  have  all  that  you  desire." 

"  Except  toys,"  added  Bessie.  "  There  are  no 
toys  in  all  the  world  but  yours." 

"And  I  make  them  for  the  poor  children, 
who  have  nothing  else  to  amuse  them,"  con- 
tinued Claus. 

"  Do  poor  children  love  to  play  with  toys 
more  than  rich  ones  ?  "  asked  Bessie. 

"  I  suppose  not,"  said  Claus,  thoughtfully. 

"Am  I  to  blame  because  my  father  is  a  lord? 


C^e  Life  ant)  aDbetttureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 


Must  I  be  denied  the  pretty  toys  I  long  for  be- 
cause other  children  are  poorer  than  I  ? "  she 
inquired,  earnestly. 

"I'm  afraid  you  must,  dear,"  he  answered; 
"  for  the  poor  have  nothing  else  with  which  to 
amuse  themselves.  You  have  your  pony  to  ride, 
your  servants  to  wait  on  you,  and  every  comfort 
that  money  can  procure." 

"  But  I  want  toys !  "  cried  Bessie,  wiping  away 
the  tears  that  forced  themselves  into  her  eyes. 
"  If  I  can  not  have  them  I  shall  be  very  un- 
happy." 

Claus  was  troubled,  for  her  grief  recalled  to 
him  the  thought  that  his  desire  was  to  make  all 
children  happy,  without  regard  to  their  condi- 
tion in  life.  Yet,  while  so  many  poor  children 
were  clamoring  for  his  toys  he  could  not  bear 
to  give  one  of  them  to  Bessie  Blithesome,  who 
had  so  much  already  to  make  her  happy. 

"  Listen,  my  child,"  said  he,  gently;  "all  the 
toys  I  am  now  making   are   promised  to  others. 


C^c  life  ana  aDtoetttirceg  of  ^anta  Clang 


But  the  next  shall  be  yours,  since  your  heart  so 
longs  for  it.  Come  to  me  again  in  two  days 
and  it  shall  be  ready  for  you." 

Bessie  gave  a  cry  of  delight,  and  leaning  over 
her  pony's  neck  she  kissed  Claus  prettily  upon 
his  forehead.  Then,  calling  to  her  men-at-arms, 
she  rode  gaily  away,  leaving  Claus  to  resume  his 
work. 

"  If  I  am  to  supply  the  rich  children  as  well 
as  the  poor  ones,"  he  thought,  "  I  shall  not  have 
a  spare  moment  in  the  whole  year !  But  is  it 
right  I  should  give  to  the  rich  ?  Surely  I  must  go 
to  Necile  and  talk  with  her  about  this  matter." 

So  when  he  had  finished  the  toy  deer,  which 
was  very  like  a  deer  he  had  known  in  the  Forest 
glades,  he  walked  into  Burzee  and  made  his  way 
to  the  bower  of  the  beautiful  Nymph  Necile, 
who  had  been  his  foster  mother. 

She  greeted  him  tenderly  and  lovingly,  listen- 
ing with  interest  to  his  story  of  the  visit  of  Bes- 
sie Blithesome. 

86 


C^e  Life  ana  atfoentutess  of  ^anta  Claug 

"  And  now  tell  me,"  said  he,  "  shall  I  give 
toys  to  rich  children  ?  " 

"  We  of  the  Forest  know  nothing  of  riches," 
she  replied.  "  It  seems  to  me  that  one  child  is 
like  another  child,  since  they  are  all  made  of 
the  same  clay,  and  that  riches  are  like  a  gown, 
which  may  be  put  on  or  taken  away,  leaving 
the  child  unchanged.  But  the  Fairies  are  guard- 
ians of  mankind,  and  know  mortal  children 
better  than  I.    Let  us  call  the   Fairy  Queen." 

This  was  done,  and  the  Queen  of  the  Fairies 
sat  beside  them  and  heard  Claus  relate  his  rea- 
sons for  thinking  the  rich  children  could  get 
along  without  his  toys,  and  also  what  the  Nymph 
had  said. 

"  Necile  is  right,"  declared  the  Queen  ;  "  for, 
whether  it  be  rich  or  poor,  a  child's  longings  for 
pretty  playthings  are  but  natural.  Rich  Bessie's 
heart  may  suffer  as  much  grief  as  poor  May- 
rie's;  she  can  be  just  as  lonely  and  discon- 
tented, and  just   as   gay   and   happy.      I    think, 

87 


€^e  Life  and  atfoenturcg  of  ^anta  Claug 

friend  Claus,  it  is  your  duty  to  make  all  little 
ones  glad,  whether  they  chance  to  live  in  palaces 
or  in  cottages." 

"  Your  words  are  wise,  fair  Queen,"  replied 
Claus,  "  and  my  heart  tells  me  they  are  as  just 
as  they  are  wise.  Hereafter  all  children  may 
claim  my  services." 

Then  he  bowed  before  the  gracious  Fairy 
and,  kissing  Necile's  red  lips,  went  back  into  his 
Valley. 

At  the  brook  he  stopped  to  drink,  and  after- 
ward he  sat  on  the  bank  and  took  a  piece  of 
moist  clay  in  his  hands  while  he  thought  what 
sort  of  toy  he  should  make  for  Bessie  Blithe- 
some. He  did  not  notice  that  his  fingers  were 
working  the  clay  into  shape  until,  glancing 
downward,  he  found  he  had  unconsciously 
formed  a  head  that  bore  a  slight  resemblance  to 
the  Nymph  Necile ! 

At  once  he  became  interested.  Gathering 
more  of  the  clay  from  the  bank  he  carried  it  to 


C^e  JUtfe  anD  aobcntureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 


his  house.  Then,  with  the  aid  of  his  knife  and 
a  bit  of  wood  he  succeeded  in  working  the  clay 
into  the  image  of  a  toy  nymph.  With  skilful 
strokes  he  formed  long,  waving  hair  on  the  head 
and  covered  the  body  with  a  gown  of  oak- 
leaves,  while  the  two  feet  sticking  out  at  the 
bottom  of  the  gown  were  clad  in  sandals. 

But  the  clay  was  soft,  and  Claus  found  he 
must  handle  it  gently  to  avoid  ruining  his  pretty 
work. 

"  Perhaps  the  rays  of  the  sun  will  draw  out 
the  moisture  and  cause  the  clay  to  become 
hard,"  he  thought.  So  he  laid  the  image  on  a 
flat  board  and  placed  it  in  the  glare  of  the  sun. 

This  done,  he  went  to  his  bench  and  began 
painting  the  toy  deer,  and  soon  he  became  so 
interested  in  the  work  that  he  forgot  all  about 
the  clay  nymph.  But  next  morning,  happening 
to  notice  it  as  it  lay  on  the  board,  he  found  the 
sun  had  baked  it  to  the  hardness  of  stone,  and 
it  was  strong  enough  to  be  safely  handled: 


C^e  life  ano  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claus 


Claus  now  painted  the  nymph  with  great 
care  in  the  likeness  of  Necile,  giving  it  deep- 
blue  eyes,  white  teeth,  rosy  lips  and  ruddy- 
brown  hair.  The  gown  he  colored  oak-leaf 
green,  and  when  the  paint  was  dry  Claus  him- 
self was  charmed  with  the  new  toy.  Of  course  it 
was  not  nearly  so  lovely  as  the  real  Necile ;  but, 
considering  the  material  of  which  it  was  made, 
Claus  thought  it  was  very  beautiful. 

When  Bessie,  riding  upon  her  white  palfrey, 
came  to  his  dwelling  next  day,  Claus  presented 
her  with  the  new  toy.  The  little  girl's  eyes  were 
brighter  than  ever  as  she  examined  the  pretty 
image,  and  she  loved  it  at  once,  and  held  it 
close  to  her  breast,  as  a  mother  does  her  child. 

"  What  is  it  called,  Claus  ?  "  she  asked. 

Now  Claus  knew  that  Nymphs  do  not  like 
to  be  spoken  of  by  mortals,  so  he  could  not  tell 
Bessie  it  was  an  image  of  Necile  he  had  given 
her.  But  as  it  was  a  new  toy  he  searched  his 
mind  for  a  new  name  to  call  it  by,  and  the  first 

90 


C^e  life  ana  adfcentuteg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

word  he  thought  of  he  decided  would  do  very 
well. 

"  It  is  called  a  dolly,  my  dear,"  he  said  to 
Bessie. 

"  I  shall  call  the  dolly  my  baby,"  returned 
Bessie,  kissing  it  fondly ;  "  and  I  shall  tend  it 
and  care  for  it  just  as  Nurse  cares  for  me. 
Thank  you  very  much,  Claus ;  your  gift  has 
made  me  happier  than  I  have  ever  been  be- 
fore !  " 

Then  she  rode  away,  hugging  the  toy  in  her 
arms,  and  Claus,  seeing  her  delight,  thought  he 
would  make  another  dolly,  better  and  more 
natural  than  the  first. 

He  brought  more  clay  from  the  brook,  and 
remembering  that  Bessie  had  called  the  dolly 
her  baby  he  resolved  to  form  this  one  into  a 
baby's  image.  That  was  no  difficult  task  to  the 
clever  workman,  and  soon  the  baby  dolly  was 
lying  on  the  board  and  placed  in  the  sun  to 
dry.      Then,   with    the    clay    that   was    left,   he 

91 


C^e  titt  atto  atfocuturcg  of  ^anta  Claus 

began  to  make  an  image  of  Bessie  Blithesome 
herself. 

This  was  not  so  easy,  for  he  found  he  could 
not  make  the  silken  robe  of  the  lord's  daugh- 
ter out  of  the  common  clay.  So  he  called  the 
Fairies  to  his  aid,  and  asked  them  to  bring  him 
colored  silks  with  which  to  make  a  real  dress 
for  the  clay  image.  The  Fairies  set  off  at  once 
on  their  errand,  and  before  nightfall  they  re- 
turned with  a  generous  supply  of  silks  and  laces 
and  golden  threads. 

Claus  now  became  impatient  to  complete 
his  new  dolly,  and  instead  of  waiting  for  the 
next  day's  sun  he  placed  the  clay  image  upon 
his  hearth  and  covered  it  over  with  glowing 
coals.  By  morning,  when  he  drew  the  dolly 
from  the  ashes,  it  had  baked  as  hard  as  if  it  had 
lain  a  full  day  in  the  hot  sun. 

Now  our  Claus  became  a  dressmaker  as  well 
as  a  toymaker.  He  cut  the  lavender  silk,  and 
neatly  sewed  it  into  a  beautiful  gown   that  just 

92 


C^c  Life  aitD  atfocntiircg  of  ^>anta  Claus 

fitted  the  new  dolly.  And  he  put  a  lace  collar 
around  its  neck  and  pink  silk  shoes  on  its  feet. 
The  natural  color  of  baked  clay  is  a  light  gray, 
but  Claus  painted  the  face  to  resemble  the 
color  of  flesh,  and  he  gave  the  dolly  Bessie's 
brown  eyes  and  golden  hair   and  rosy  cheeks. 

It  was  really  a  beautiful  thing  to  look  upon, 
and  sure  to  bring  joy  to  some  childish  heart. 
While  Claus  was  admiring  it  he  heard  a  knock 
at  his  door,  and  little  Mayrie  entered.  Her 
face  was  sad  and  her  eyes  red  with  continued 
weeping. 

"Why,  what  has  grieved  you,  my  dear?" 
asked  Claus,  taking  the  child  in  his  arms. 

"I've — I've — bwoke  my  tat!"  sobbed  Mayrie. 

"How?"  he  inquired,  his  eyes  twinkling. 

"I  —  I  dwopped  him,  an'  bwoke  off  him's 
tail;  an' — an' — then  I  dwopped  him  an'  bwoke 
off  him's  ear !    An' — an'  now  him's  all  spoilt !  " 

Claus  laughed. 

"Never  mind,  Mayrie  dear,"  he  said.    "How 

93 


C^e  life  and  aDfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

would  you  like  this  new  dolly,  instead  of  a 
cat?" 

Mayrie  looked  at  the  silk-robed  dolly  and 
her  eyes  grew  big  with  astonishment. 

"  Oh,  Tlaus !  "  she  cried,  clapping  her  small 
hands  together  with  rapture ;  "  tan  I  have  'at 
boo'ful  lady  ?" 

"  Do  you  like  it?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  love  it !  "  said  she.    « It's  better  'an  tats  I " 

"  Then  take  it,  dear,  and  be  careful  not  to 
break  it." 

Mayrie  took  the  dolly  with  a  joy  that  was 
almost  reverent,  and  her  face  dimpled  with 
smiles  as  she  started  along  the  path  toward 
home. 


94 


CHAPTER  SIXTH 


€^e  WitUlmt$$  of  t^e  atngtoag 


I  MUST  now  tell  you  something  about  the 
Awgwas,  that   terrible   race   of  creatures 
which   caused   our   good    Claus   so   much 
trouble    and   nearly    succeeded    in    robbing    the 
children  of  the  world  of  their  earliest  and  best 
friend. 

I  do  not  like  to  mention  the  Awgwas,  but 
they  are  a  part  of  this  history,  and  can  not  be 
ignored.  They  were  neither  mortals  nor  immor- 
tals, but  stood  midway  between  those  classes  of 
beings.  The  Awgwas  were  invisible  to  ordinary 
people,  but  not  to  immortals.  They  could  pass 
swiftly  through  the  air  from  one  part  of  the 
world    to    another,    and    had    the    power   of 

95 


C^c  Lffc  and  atfocututeg  of  ^>anta  Clang 

influencing  the  minds  of  human  beings  to  do 
their  wicked  will. 

They  were  of  gigantic  stature  and  had  coarse, 
scowling  countenances  which  showed  plainly 
their  hatred  of  all  mankind.  They  possessed  no 
consciences  whatever  and  delighted  only  in  evil 
deeds. 

Their  homes  were  in  rocky,  mountainous 
places,  from  whence  they  sallied  forth  to  ac- 
complish their  wicked  purposes. 

The  one  of  their  number  that  could  think 
of  the  most  horrible  deed  for  them  to  do  was 
always  elected  the  King  Awgwa,  and  all  the 
race  obeyed  his  orders.  Sometimes  these  crea- 
tures lived  to  become  a  hundred  years  old,  but 
usually  they  fought  so  fiercely  among  them- 
selves that  many  were  destroyed  in  combat,  and 
when  they  died  that  was  the  end  of  them.  Mor- 
tals were  powerless  to  harm  them  and  the  im- 
mortals shuddered  when  the  Awgwas  were 
mentioned,  and  always  avoided  them.    So   they 

96 


C^e  Life  anD  aofoentuteg  of  ^>anta  Claus* 

flourished  for  many  years  unopposed  and  ac- 
complished much  evil. 

I  am  glad  to  assure  you  that  these  vile  crea- 
tures have  long  since  perished  and  passed  from 
earth ;  but  in  the  days  when  Claus  was  making 
his  first  toys  they  were  a  numerous  and  power- 
ful tribe. 

One  of  the  principal  sports  of  the  Awgwas 
was  to  inspire  angry  passions  in  the  hearts  of 
little  children,  so  that  they  quarreled  and  fought 
with  one  another.  They  would  tempt  boys  to 
eat  of  unripe  fruit,  and  then  delight  in  the  pain 
they  suffered;  they  urged  little  girls  to  disobey 
their  parents,  and  then  would  laugh  when  the 
children  were  punished.  I  do  not  know  what 
causes  a  child  to  be  naughty  in  these  days,  but 
when  the  Awgwas  were  on  earth  naughty  chil- 
dren were  usually  under  their  influence. 

Now,  when  Claus  began  to  make  children 
happy  he  kept  them  out  of  the  power  of  the 
Awgwas;  for  children  possessing  such  lovely  play- 

97 


C^e  Life  ano  atfoetttuteg  of  £>attta  Claug 

things  as  he  gave  them  had  no  wish  to  obey  the 
evil  thoughts  the  Awgwas  tried  to  thrust  into 
their  minds. 

Therefore,  one  year  when  the  wicked  tribe 
was  to  elect  a  new  King,  they  chose  an  Awgwa 
who  proposed  to  destroy  Claus  and  take  him 
away  from  the  children. 

"  There  are,  as  you  know,  fewer  naughty 
children  in  the  world  since  Claus  came  to  the 
Laughing  Valley  and  began  to  make  his  toys," 
said  the  new  King,  as  he  squatted  upon  a  rock 
and  looked  around  at  the  scowling  faces  of  his 
people.  "Why,  Bessie  Blithesome  has  not 
stamped  her  foot  once  this  month,  nor  has 
Mayrie's  brother  slapped  his  sister's  face  or 
thrown  the  puppy  into  the  rain-barrel.  Little 
Weekum  took  his  bath  last  night  without 
screaming  or  struggling,  because  his  mother  had 
promised  he  should  take  his  toy  cat  to  bed  with 
him !  Such  a  condition  of  affairs  is  awful  for 
any  Awgwa  to   think  of,  and  the  only  way  we 


€^e  Life  and  atfoentureg  of  ^anta  Claug 


can  direct  the  naughty  actions  of  children  is  to 
take  this  person  Claus  away  from  them." 

"  Good !  good !  "  cried  the  big  Awgwas,  in  a 
chorus,  and  they  clapped  their  hands  to  applaud 
the  speech  of  the  King. 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  with  him  ?  "  asked  one 
of  the  creatures. 

"I  have  a  plan,"  replied  the  wicked  King; 
and  what  his  plan  was  you  will  soon  discover. 

That  night  Claus  went  to  bed  feeling  very 
happy,  for  he  had  completed  no  less  than  four 
pretty  toys  during  the  day,  and  they  were  sure, 
he  thought,  to  make  four  little  children  happy. 
But  while  he  slept  the  band  of  invisible  Awgwas 
surrounded  his  bed,  bound  him  with  stout  cords, 
and  then  flew  away  with  him  to  the  middle  of 
a  dark  forest  in  far  off  Ethop,  where  they  laid 
him  down  and  left  him. 

When  morning  came  Claus  found  himself 
thousands  of  miles  from  any  human  being,  a 
prisoner  in  the  wild  jungle  of  an  unknown  land. 

99 


€i)c  Life  ano  atfocnturcs  of  ^>anta  Claug 


From  the  limb  of  a  tree  above  his  head  swayed 
a  huge  python,  one  of  those  reptiles  that  are  able 
to  crush  a  man's  bones  in  their  coils.  A  few  yards 
away  crouched  a  savage  panther,  its  glaring  red 
eyes  fixed  full  on  the  helpless  Glaus.  One  of  those 
monstrous  spotted  spiders  whose  sting  is  death 
crept  stealthily  toward  him  over  the  matted 
leaves,  which  shriveled  and  turned  black  at  its 
very  touch. 

But  Claus  had  been  reared  in  Burzee,  and 
was  not  afraid. 

"Come  to  me,  ye  Knooks  of  the  Forest!" 
he  cried,  and  gave  the  low,  peculiar  whistle  that 
the  Knooks  know. 

The  panther,  which  was  about  to  spring  upon 
its  victim,  turned  and  slunk  away.  The  python 
swung  itself  into  the  tree  and  disappeared  among 
the  leaves.  The  spider  stopped  short  in  its  ad- 
vance and  hid  beneath  a  rotting  log. 

Claus  had  no  time  to  notice  them,  for  he  was 
surrounded  by  a  band  of  harsh-featured  Knooks, 


C^e  Life  attD  aobcntureg  of  ^anta  Claus 

more  crooked  and  deformed  in  appearance  than 
any  he  had  ever  seen. 

"  Who  are  you  that  call  on  us  ?  "  demanded 
one,  in  a  gruff  voice. 

"The  friend  of  your  brothers  in  Burzee," 
answered  Claus.  "  I  have  been  brought  here  by 
my  enemies,  the  Awgwas,  and  left  to  perish 
miserably.  Yet  now  I  implore  your  help  to  re- 
lease me  and  to  send  me  home  again." 

"  Have  you  the  sign  ?  "  asked  another. 

"Yes,"  said  Claus. 

They  cut  his  bonds,  and  with  his  free  arms 
he  made  the  secret  sign  of  the  Knooks. 

Instantly  they  assisted  him  to  stand  upon  his 
feet,  and  they  brought  him  food  and  drink  to 
strengthen  him. 

"  Our  brothers  of  Burzee  make  queer  friends," 
grumbled  an  ancient  Knook  whose  flowing 
beard  was  pure  white.  "  But  he  who  knows  our 
secret  sign  and  signal  is  entitled  to  our  help, 
whoever  he  may  be.    Close  your  eyes,  stranger, 


€t)e  JLife  anD  atfowtureg  of  ^attta  Claujs 

and  we  will  conduct  you  to  your  home.  Where 
shall  we  seek  it  ?  " 

"'Tis  in  the  Laughing  Valley,"  answered 
Claus,  shutting  his  eyes. 

"  There  is  but  one  Laughing  Valley  in  the 
known  world,  so  we  can  not  go  astray,"  re- 
marked the  Knook. 

As  he  spoke  the  sound  of  his  voice  seemed  to 
die  away,  so  Claus  opened  his  eyes  to  see  what 
caused  the  change.  To  his  astonishment  he 
found  himself  seated  on  the  bench  by  his  own 
door,  with  the  Laughing  Valley  spread  out  be- 
fore him.  That  day  he  visited  the  Wood- 
Nymphs  and  related  his  adventure  to  Queen 
Zurline  and  Necile. 

"  The  Awgwas  have  become  your  enemies," 
said  the  lovely  Queen,  thoughtfully ;  "  so  we 
must  do  all  we  can  to  protect  you  from  their 
power." 

"  It  was  cowardly  to  bind  him  while  he  slept," 
remarked  Necile,  with  indignation. 


€^e  Life  and  aobentuteg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

"  The  evil  ones  are  ever  cowardly,"  answered 
Zurline,  "  but  our  friend's  slumber  shall  not  be 
disturbed  again." 

The  Queen  herself  came  to  the  dwelling  of 
Claus  that  evening  and  placed  her  Seal  on  every 
door  and  window,  to  keep  out  the  Awgwas. 
And  under  the  Seal  of  Queen  Zurline  was  placed 
the  Seal  of  the  Fairies  and  the  Seal  of  the  Ryls 
and  the  Seal  of  the  Knooks,  that  the  charm 
might  become  more  powerful. 

And  Claus  carried  his  toys  to  the  children 
again,  and  made  many  more  of  the  little  ones 
happy. 

You  may  guess  how  angry  the  King  Awgwa 
and  his  fierce  band  were  when  it  was  known 
to  them  that  Claus  had  escaped  from  the  Forest 
of  Ethop. 

They  raged  madly  for  a  whole  week,  and  then 
held  another  meeting  among  the  rocks. 

"  It  is  useless  to  carry  him  where  the  Knooks 
reign,"  said  the  King,  "  for  he  has  their  protec- 

103 


Ctye  life  and  atiticnturcjs  of  ^>anta  Clang 

tion.  So  let  us  cast  him  into  a  cave  of  our  own 
mountains,  where  he  will  surely  perish." 

This  was  promptly  agreed  to,  and  the  wicked 
band  set  out  that  night  to  seize  Claus.  But  they 
found  his  dwelling  guarded  by  the  Seals  of  the 
Immortals  and  were  obliged  to  go  away  baffled 
and  disappointed. 

"Never  mind,"  said  the  King;  "he  does  not 
sleep  always !  " 

Next  day,  as  Claus  traveled  to  the  village 
across  the  plain,  where  he  intended  to  present 
a  toy  squirrel  to  a  lame  boy,  he  was  suddenly 
set  upon  by  the  Awgwas,  who  seized  him  and 
carried  him  away  to  the  mountains. 

There  they  thrust  him  within  a  deep  cavern 
and  rolled  many  huge  rocks  against  the  entrance 
to  prevent  his  escape. 

Deprived  thus  of  light  and  food,  and  with 
little  air  to  breathe,  our  Claus  was,  indeed,  in 
a  pitiful  plight.  But  he  spoke  the  mystic  words 
of   the    Fairies,   which    always    command    their 

104 


W$t  Life  and  atfomtutcg  of  ^anta  Claug 

friendly  aid,  and  they  came  to  his  rescue  and 
transported  him  to  the  Laughing  Valley  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye. 

Thus  the  Awgwas  discovered  they  might 
not  destroy  one  who  had  earned  the  friendship 
of  the  immortals;  so  the  evil  band  sought 
other  means  of  keeping  Claus  from  bringing 
happiness  to  children  and  so  making  them 
obedient. 

Whenever  Claus  set  out  to  carry  his  toys  to 
the  little  ones  an  Awgwa,  who  had  been  set 
to  watch  his  movements,  sprang  upon  him  and 
snatched  the  toys  from  his  grasp.  And  the  chil- 
dren were  no  more  disappointed  than  was  Claus 
when  he  was  obliged  to  return  home  disconso- 
late. Still  he  persevered,  and  made  many  toys 
for  his  little  friends  and  started  with  them  for 
the  villages.  And  always  the  Awgwas  robbed 
him  as  soon  as  he  had  left  the  Valley. 

They  threw  the  stolen  playthings  into  one  of 
their  lonely  caverns,  and  quite  a  heap  of  toys 

105 


€Ije  Hit  ana  QDUntuw  of  ^>attta  Claug 


accumulated  before  Claus  became  discouraged 
and  gave  up  all  attempts  to  leave  the  Valley. 
Then  children  began  coming  to  him,  since  they 
found  he  did  not  go  to  them ;  but  the  wicked 
Awgwas  flew  around  them  and  caused  their  steps 
to  stray  and  the  paths  to  become  crooked,  so 
never  a  little  one  could  find  a  way  into  the 
Laughing  Valley. 

Lonely  days  now  fell  upon  Claus,  for  he  was 
denied  the  pleasure  of  bringing  happiness  to  the 
children  whom  he  had  learned  to  love.  Yet  he 
bore  up  bravely,  for  he  thought  surely  the  time 
would  come  when  the  Awgwas  would  abandon 
their  evil  designs  to  injure  him. 

He  devoted  all  his  hours  to  toy-making,  and 
when  one  plaything  had  been  completed  he 
stood  it  on  a  shelf  he  had  built  for  that  pur- 
pose. When  the  shelf  became  filled  with  rows 
of  toys  he  made  another  one,  and  filled  that 
also.  So  that  in  time  he  had  many  shelves  filled 
with  gay  and  beautiful  toys  representing  horses, 

1 06 


Ctye  JLtfe  ano  atfoentirceg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

dogs,  cats,  elephants,  lambs,  rabbits  and  deer,  as 
well  as  pretty  dolls  of  all  sizes  and  balls  and 
marbles  of  baked  clay  painted  in  gay  colors. 

Often,  as  he  glanced  at  this  array  of  childish 
treasures,  the  heart  of  good  old  Claus  became 
sad,  so  greatly  did  he  long  to  carry  the  toys  to 
his  children.  And  at  last,  because  he  could  bear 
it  no  longer,  he  ventured  to  go  to  the  great  Ak, 
to  whom  he  told  the  story  of  his  persecution  by 
the  Awgwas,  and  begged  the  Master  Woodsman 
to  assist  him. 


107 


C^e  d&reat  OBattle  OBettoeen  (Koon  ana  €Ul 


AK  LISTENED  gravely  to  the  recital  of 
/  ^  Claus,  stroking  his  beard  the  while 
with  the  slow,  graceful  motion  that  be- 
tokened deep  thought.  He  nodded  approvingly 
when  Claus  told  how  the  Knooks  and  Fairies 
had  saved  him  from  death,  and  frowned  when 
he  heard  how  the  Awgwas  had  stolen  the  chil- 
dren's toys.    At  last  he  said : 

"  From  the  beginning  I  have  approved  the 
work  you  are  doing  among  the  children  of  men, 
and  it  annoys  me  that  your  good  deeds  should 
be  thwarted  by  the  Awgwas.  We  immortals 
have  no  connection  whatever  with  the  evil  crea- 
tures who  have  attacked  you.    Always  have  we 

1 08 


€i)e  Life  and  atfocntureg  of  ^>anta  Claujs  M 


avoided  them,  and  they,  in  turn,  have  hitherto 
taken  care  not  to  cross  our  pathway.  But  in 
this  matter  I  find  they  have  interfered  with  one 
of  our  friends,  and  I  will  ask  them  to  abandon 
their  persecutions,  as  you  are  under  our  pro- 
tection." 

Claus  thanked  the  Master  Woodsman  most 
gratefully  and  returned  to  his  Valley,  while  Ak, 
who  never  delayed  carrying  out  his  promises,  at 
once  traveled  to  the  mountains  of  the  Awgwas. 

There,  standing  on  the  bare  rocks,  he  called 
on  the  King  and  his  people  to  appear. 

Instantly  the  place  was  filled  with  throngs  of 
the  scowling  Awgwas,  and  their  King,  perching 
himself  on  a  point  of  rock,  demanded  fiercely: 

"Who  dares  call  on  us?" 

"  It  is  I,  the  Master  Woodsman  of  the  World," 
responded  Ak. 

"  Here  are  no  forests  for  you  to  claim,"  cried 
the  King,  angrily.  "We  owe  no  allegiance  to 
you,  nor  to  any  immortal !  " 


109 


C^e  life  aito  aobetttirces  of  ^>anta  Clausi 

"  That  is  true,"  replied  Ak,  calmly.  "Yet  you 
have  ventured  to  interfere  with  the  actions  of 
Claus,  who  dwells  in  the  Laughing  Valley,  and 
is  under  our  protection." 

Many  of  the  Awgwas  began  muttering  at  this 
speech,  and  their  King  turned  threateningly  on 
the  Master  Woodsman. 

"You  are  set  to  rule  the  forests,  but  the  plains 
and  the  valleys  are  ours !  "  he  shouted.  "  Keep 
to  your  own  dark  woods !  We  will  do  as  we 
please  with  Claus." 

"You  shall  not  harm  our  friend  in  any  way! " 
replied  Ak. 

"  Shall  we  not  ?  "  asked  the  King,  impudently. 
"  You  will  see !  Our  powers  are  vastly  superior 
to  those  of  mortals,  and  fully  as  great  as  those 
of  immortals." 

"  It  is  your  conceit  that  misleads  you !  "  said 
Ak,  sternly.  "  You  are  a  transient  race,  passing 
from  life  into  nothingness.  We,  who  live  for- 
ever, pity   but   despise   you.    On  earth  you  are 


€^e  Life  ana  aDbentureg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

scorned  by  all,  and  in  Heaven  you  have  no 
place !  Even  the  mortals,  after  their  earth  life, 
enter  another  existence  for  all  time,  and  so  are 
your  superiors.  How  then  dare  you,  who  are 
neither  mortal  nor  immortal,  refuse  to  obey  my 
wish  ?  " 

The  Awgwas  sprang  to  their  feet  with  men- 
acing gestures,  but  their  King  motioned  them 
back. 

"  Never  before,"  he  cried  to  Ak,  while  his 
voice  trembled  with  rage,  "  has  an  immortal  de- 
clared himself  the  master  of  the  Awgwas !  Never 
shall  an  immortal  venture  to  interfere  with  our 
actions  again  !  For  we  will  avenge  your  scorn- 
ful words  by  killing  your  friend  Claus  within 
three  days.  Nor  you,  nor  all  the  immortals  can 
save  him  from  our  wrath.  We  defy  your  pow- 
ers !  Begone,  Master  Woodsman  of  the  World ! 
In  the  country  of  the  Awgwas  you  have  no 
place." 

"  It  is  war!  "  declared  Ak,  with  flashing  eyes. 


€^e  Life  anD  aofcenturcg  of  ^anta  Claujs 

"It  is  war!"  returned  the  King,  savagely. 
"  In  three  days  your  friend  will  be  dead." 

The  Master  turned  away  and  came  to  his 
Forest  of  Burzee,  where  he  called  a  meeting  of 
the  immortals  and  told  them  of  the  defiance  of 
the  Awgwas  and  their  purpose  to  kill  Claus 
within  three  days. 

The  little  folk  listened  to  him  quietly. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  asked  Ak. 

"  These  creatures  are  of  no  benefit  to  the 
world,"  said  the  Prince  of  the  Knooks ;  "  we 
must  destroy  them." 

"  Their  lives  are  devoted  only  to  evil  deeds," 
said  the  Prince  of  the  Ryls.  "  We  must  destroy 
them." 

"  They  have  no  conscience,  and  endeavor  to 
make  all  mortals  as  bad  as  themselves,"  said  the 
Queen  of  the  Fairies.    "We  must  destroy  them." 

"  They  have  defied  the  great  Ak,  and  threaten 
the  life  of  our  adopted  son,"  said  beautiful 
Queen  Zurline.    "  We  must  destroy  them." 


CIjc  life  ano  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

The  Master  Woodsman  smiled. 

"  You  speak  well,"  said  he.  "  These  Awgwas 
we  know  to  be  a  powerful  race,  and  they  will 
fight  desperately;  yet  the  outcome  is  certain. 
For  we  who  live  can  never  die,  even  though 
conquered  by  our  enemies,  while  every  Awgwa 
who  is  struck  down  is  one  foe  the  less  to  op- 
pose us.  Prepare,  then,  for  battle,  and  let  us 
resolve  to  show  no  mercy  to  the  wicked !  " 

Thus  arose  that  terrible  war  between  the  im- 
mortals and  the  spirits  of  evil  which  is  sung  of 
in  Fairyland  to  this  very  day. 

The  King  Awgwa  and  his  band  determined 
to  carry  out  the  threat  to  destroy  Claus.  They 
now  hated  him  for  two  reasons :  he  made  chil- 
dren happy  and  was  a  friend  of  the  Master 
Woodsman.  But  since  Ak's  visit  they  had  rea- 
son to  fear  the  opposition  of  the  immortals,  and 
they  dreaded  defeat.  So  the  King  sent  swift 
messengers  to  all  parts  of  the  world  to  summon 
every  evil  creature  to  his  aid. 


"3 


€t)e  life  ana  atfoentutcg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

And  on  the  third  day  after  the  declaration  of 
war  a  mighty  army  was  at  the  command  of  the 
King  Awgwa.  There  were  three  hundred  Asiatic 
Dragons,  breathing  fire  that  consumed  every- 
thing it  touched.  These  hated  mankind  and  all 
good  spirits.  And  there  were  the  three -eyed 
Giants  of  Tatary,  a  host  in  themselves,  who  liked 
nothing  better  than  to  fight.  And  next  came 
the  Black  Demons  from  Patalonia,  with  great 
spreading  wings  like  those  of  a  bat,  which  swept 
terror  and  misery  through  the  world  as  they 
beat  upon  the  air.  And  joined  to  these  were 
the  Goozzle-Goblins,  with  long  talons  as  sharp 
as  swords,  with  which  they  clawed  the  flesh  from 
their  foes.  Finally,  every  mountain  Awgwa  in 
the  world  had  come  to  participate  in  the  great 
battle  with  the  immortals. 

The  King  Awgwa  looked  around  upon  this 
vast  army  and  his  heart  beat  high  with  wicked 
pride,  for  he  believed  he  would  surely  triumph 
over  his  gentle  enemies,  who  had  never  before 

114 


Clje  life  anD  aotoentwcg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

been  known  to  fight.  But  the  Master  Woods- 
man had  not  been  idle.  None  of  his  people  was 
used  to  warfare,  yet  now  that  they  were  called 
upon  to  face  the  hosts  of  evil  they  willingly 
prepared  for  the  fray. 

Ak  had  commanded  them  to  assemble  in  the 
Laughing  Valley,  where  Claus,  ignorant  of  the 
terrible  battle  that  was  to  be  waged  on  his  ac- 
count, was  quietly  making  his  toys. 

Soon  the  entire  Valley,  from  hill  to  hill,  was 
filled  with  the  little  immortals.  The  Master 
Woodsman  stood  first,  bearing  a  gleaming  ax 
that  shone  like  burnished  silver.  Next  came 
the  Ryls,  armed  with  sharp  thorns  from  bramble- 
bushes.  Then  the  Knooks,  bearing  the  spears 
they  used  when  they  were  forced  to  prod  their 
savage  beasts  into  submission.  The  Fairies, 
dressed  in  white  gauze  with  rainbow-hued 
wings,  bore  golden  wands,  and  the  Wood- 
nymphs,  in  their  uniforms  of  oak-leaf  green, 
carried  switches  from  ash  trees  as  weapons. 

IJ5 


C^e  Life  atiD  £Dfcenture0  of  ^>anta  Clau# 


Loud  laughed  the  Awgwa  King  when  he  be- 
held the  size  and  the  arms  of  his  foes.  To  be 
sure  the  mighty  ax  of  the  Woodsman  was  to  be 
dreaded,  but  the  sweet-faced  Nymphs  and  pretty 
Fairies,  the  gentle  Ryls  and  crooked  Knooks 
were  such  harmless  folk  that  he  almost  felt 
shame  at  having  called  such  a  terrible  host  to 
oppose  them. 

"  Since  these  fools  dare  fight,"  he  said  to  the 
leader  of  the  Tatary  Giants,  "  I  will  overwhelm 
them  with  our  evil  powers !  " 

To  begin  the  battle  he  poised  a  great  stone 
in  his  left  hand  and  cast  it  full  against  the  sturdy 
form  of  the  Master  Woodsman,  who  turned  it 
aside  with  his  ax.  Then  rushed  the  three-eyed 
Giants  of  Tatary  upon  the  Knooks,  and  the 
Goozzle-Goblins  upon  the  Ryls,  and  the  fire- 
breathing  Dragons  upon  the  sweet  Fairies.  Be- 
cause the  Nymphs  were  Ak's  own  people  the 
band  of  Awgwas  sought  them  out,  thinking  to 
overcome  them  with  ease. 

116 


Clje  Life  ana  aobentureg  of  ^anta  Claug 

But  it  is  the  Law  that  while  Evil,  unopposed, 
may  accomplish  terrible  deeds,  the  powers  of 
Good  can  never  be  overthrown  when  opposed 
to  Evil.  Well  had  it  been  for  the  King  Awgwa 
had  he  known  the  Law ! 

His  ignorance  cost  him  his  existence,  for  one 
flash  of  the  ax  borne  by  the  Master  Woods- 
man of  the  World  cleft  the  wicked  King  in 
twain  and  rid  the  earth  of  the  vilest  creature  it 
contained. 

Greatly  marveled  the  Tatary  Giants  when 
the  spears  of  the  little  Knooks  pierced  their 
thick  walls  of  flesh  and  sent  them  reeling  to 
the  ground  with  howls  of  agony. 

Woe  came  upon  the  sharp-taloned  Goblins 
when  the  thorns  of  the  Ryls  reached  their  sav- 
age hearts  and  let  their  life-blood  sprinkle  all 
the  plain.  And  afterward  from  every  drop  a 
thistle  grew. 

The  Dragons  paused  astonished  before  the 
Fairy  wands,  from  whence  rushed  a  power  that 

117 


C^c  Life  anD  atfocutiircg  of  ^>anta  Clans 

caused  their  fiery  breaths  to  flow  back  on  them- 
selves so  that  they  shriveled  away  and  died. 

As  for  the  Awgwas,  they  had  scant  time  to 
realize  how  they  were  destroyed,  for  the  ash 
switches  of  the  Nymphs  bore  a  charm  unknown 
to  any  Awgwa,  and  turned  their  foes  into  clods 
of  earth  at  the  slightest  touch  ! 

When  Ak  leaned  upon  his  gleaming  ax  and 
turned  to  look  over  the  field  of  battle  he  saw 
the  few  Giants  who  were  able  to  run  disappearing 
over  the  distant  hills  on  their  return  to  Tatary. 
The  Goblins  had  perished  every  one,  as  had  the 
terrible  Dragons,  while  all  that  remained  of  the 
wicked  Awgwas  was  a  great  number  of  earthen 
hillocks  dotting  the  plain. 

And  now  the  immortals  melted  from  the 
Valley  like  dew  at  sunrise,  to  resume  their  du- 
ties in  the  Forest,  while  Ak  walked  slowly  and 
thoughtfully  to  the  house  of  Claus  and  entered. 

"  You  have  many  toys  ready  for  the  children," 
said   the  Woodsman,  "  and   now  you  may  carry 

118 


C^e  life  ano  atfoentwcjs  of  ^>anta  Claug 

them  across  the  plain  to  the  dwellings  and  the 
villages  without  fear." 

"  Will  not  the  Awgwas  harm  me  ? "  asked 
Claus,  eagerly. 

"  The  Awgwas,"  said  Ak,  "  have  perished !  " 

*  -3f  *  *  # 

Now  I  will  gladly  have  done  with  wicked 
spirits  and  with  fighting  and  bloodshed.  It  was 
not  from  choice  that  I  told  of  the  Awgwas  and 
their  allies,  and  of  their  great  battle  with  the 
immortals.  They  were  part  of  this  history,  and 
could  not  be  avoided. 


119 


CHAPTER  EIGHTH 


C^e  first  gjouroei?  toity  t^e  KefnDee* 


THOSE  were  happy  days  for  Claus  when 
he  carried   his  accumulation  of  toys  to 
the  children  who  had  awaited  them  so 
long.     During    his   imprisonment  in   the  Valley 
he   had   been  so  industrious  that  all  his  shelves 
were   filled   with   playthings,   and   after   quickly 
supplying   the  little  ones  living   near  by  he  saw 
he  must  now  extend  his  travels  to  wider  fields. 
Remembering   the   time   when   he   had  jour- 
neyed with  Ak  through  all  the  world,  he  knew 
children    were    everywhere,    and    he    longed    to 
make  as  many  as  possible  happy  with  his  gifts. 
So  he  loaded  a  great  sack  with  all  kinds  of 
toys,  slung  it  upon  his  back  that  he  might  carry 


C^e  Life  ano  aabcntutes  of  ^attta  Claug 

it  more  easily,  and  started  off  on  a  longer  trip 
than  he  had  yet  undertaken. 

Wherever  he  showed  his  merry  face,  in  hamlet 
or  in  farmhouse,  he  received  a  cordial  welcome, 
for  his  fame  had  spread  into  far  lands.  At  each 
village  the  children  swarmed  about  him,  follow- 
ing his  footsteps  wherever  he  went;  and  the 
women  thanked  him  gratefully  for  the  joy  he 
brought  their  little  ones;  and  the  men  looked 
upon  him  curiously  that  he  should  devote  his 
time  to  such  a  queer  occupation  as  toy-making. 
But  every  one  smiled  on  him  and  gave  him 
kindly  words,  and  Claus  felt  amply  repaid  for 
his  long  journey. 

When  the  sack  was  empty  he  went  back  again 
to  the  Laughing  Valley  and  once  more  filled  it 
to  the  brim.  This  time  he  followed  another 
road,  into  a  different  part  of  the  country,  and 
carried  happiness  to  many  children  who  never 
before  had  owned  a  toy  or  guessed  that  such  a 
delightful  plaything  existed. 


€I)e  life  and  aofoettatteg  of  ^anta  Ciaug 

After  a  third  journey,  so  far  away  that  Claus 
was  many  days  walking  the  distance,  the  store 
of  toys  became  exhausted  and  without  delay  he 
set  about  making  a  fresh  supply. 

From  seeing  so  many  children  and  studying 
their  tastes  he  had  acquired  several  new  ideas 
about  toys. 

The  dollies  were,  he  had  found,  the  most 
delightful  of  all  playthings  for  babies  and 
little  girls,  and  often  those  who  could  not 
say  "dolly"  would  call  for  a  "doll"  in 
their  sweet  baby  talk.  So  Claus  resolved  to 
make  many  dolls,  of  all  sizes,  and  to  dress 
them  in  bright- colored  clothing.  The  older 
boys  —  and  even  some  of  the  girls — loved  the 
images  of  animals,  so  he  still  made  cats  and 
elephants  and  horses.  And  many  of  the  little 
fellows  had  musical  natures,  and  longed  for 
drums  and  cymbals  and  whistles  and  horns.  So 
he  made  a  number  of  toy  drums,  with  tiny  sticks 
to  beat  them  with ;    and  he  made  whistles  from 


C^e  JLtfe  atto  aDtoenturcg  of  ^>attta  Claus 

the  willow  trees,  and  horns  from  the  bog-reeds, 
and  cymbals  from  bits  of  beaten  metal. 

All  this  kept  him  busily  at  work,  and  before 
he  realized  it  the  winter  season  came,  with  deeper 
snows  than  usual,  and  he  knew  he  could  not 
leave  the  Valley  with  his  heavy  pack.  More- 
over, the  next  trip  would  take  him  farther  from 
home  than  ever  before,  and  Jack  Frost  was  mis- 
chievous enough  to  nip  his  nose  and  ears  if  he 
undertook  the  long  journey  while  the  Frost 
King  reigned.  The  Frost  King  was  Jack's  father 
and  never  reproved  him  for  his  pranks. 

So  Claus  remained  at  his  work-bench;  but 
he  whistled  and  sang  as  merrily  as  ever,  for  he 
would  allow  no  disappointment  to  sour  his  tem- 
per or  make  him  unhappy. 

One  bright  morning  he  looked  from  his  win- 
dow and  saw  two  of  the  deer  he  had  known  in 
the  Forest  walking  toward  his  house. 

Claus  was  surprised;  not  that  the  friendly 
deer  should  visit  him,  but  that  they  walked  on 

123 


C^e  Life  ana  adventures  of  ^>anta  Clans? 

the  surface  of  the  snow  as  easily  as  if  it  were 
solid  ground,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
throughout  the  Valley  the  snow  lay  many  feet 
deep.  He  had  walked  out  of  his  house  a  day  or 
two  before  and  had  sunk  to  his  arm- pits  in 
a  drift. 

So  when  the  deer  came  near  he  opened  the 
door  and  called  to  them : 

"  Good  morning,  Flossie !  Tell  me  how  you 
are  able  to  walk  on  the  snow  so  easily." 

"  It  is  frozen  hard,"  answered  Flossie. 

"  The  Frost  King  has  breathed  on  it,"  said 
Glossie,  coming  up,  "  and  the  surface  is  now 
as  solid  as  ice." 

"  Perhaps,"  remarked  Claus,  thoughtfully,  "  I 
might  now  carry  my  pack  of  toys  to  the  chil- 
dren." 

"Is  it  a  long  journey?  "  asked  Flossie. 

"Yes;  it  will  take  me  many  days,  for  the 
pack  is  heavy,"  answered  Claus. 

"  Then    the    snow    would    melt    before    you 

124 


C^c  JLtfe  ana  atfocntuteg  of  |a>anta  Claus 

could  get  back,"  said  the  deer.  "You  must 
wait  until  spring,  Claus." 

Claus  sighed.  "  Had  I  your  fleet  feet,"  said 
he,  "I  could  make  the  journey  in  a  day." 

"  But  you  have  not,"  returned  Glossie,  look- 
ing at  his  own  slender  legs  with  pride. 

"Perhaps  I  could  ride  upon  your  back," 
Claus  ventured  to  remark,  after  a  pause. 

"  Oh,  no ;  our  backs  are  not  strong  enough 
to  bear  your  weight,"  said  Flossie,  decidedly. 
"  But  if  you  had  a  sledge,  and  could  harness  us 
to  it,  we  might  draw  you  easily,  and  your  pack 
as  well." 

"  I'll  make  a  sledge !  "  exclaimed  Claus.  "Will 
you  agree  to  draw  me  if  I  do  ?  " 

"Well,"  replied  Flossie,  "we  must  first  go 
and  ask  the  Knooks,  who  are  our  guardians,  for 
permission;  but  if  they  consent,  and  you  can 
make  a  sledge  and  harness,  we  will  gladly  assist 
you." 

"  Then  go  at  once !  "  cried  Claus,  eagerly. 
125 


Cije  Life  ana  aabenturess  of  ^>anta  Claws 

"  I  am  sure  the  friendly  Knooks  will  give  their 
consent,  and  by  the  time  you  are  back  I  shall 
be  ready  to  harness  you  to  my  sledge." 

Flossie  and  Glossie,  being  deer  of  much  in- 
telligence, had  long  wished  to  see  the  great 
world,  so  they  gladly  ran  over  the  frozen  snow 
to  ask  the  Knooks  if  they  might  carry  Claus  on 
his  journey. 

Meantime  the  toy-maker  hurriedly  began  the 
construction  of  a  sledge,  using  material  from  his 
wood-pile.  He  made  two  long  runners  that 
turned  upward  at  the  front  ends,  and  across 
these  nailed  short  boards,  to  make  a  platform. 
It  was  soon  completed,  but  was  as  rude  in  ap- 
pearance as  it  is  possible  for  a  sledge  to  be. 

The  harness  was  more  difficult  to  prepare, 
but  Claus  twisted  strong  cords  together  and 
knotted  them  so  they  would  fit  around  the 
necks  of  the  deer,  in  the  shape  of  a  collar. 
From  these  ran  other  cords  to  fasten  the  deer 
to  the  front  of  the  sledge. 

126 


C^e  Hffe  and  a&bcntureg  of  ^anta  Claug 

Before  the  work  was  completed  Glossie  and 
Flossie  were  back  from  the  Forest,  having  been 
granted  permission  by  Will  Knook  to  make  the 
journey  with  Claus  provided  they  would  return 
to  Burzee  by  daybreak  the  next  morning. 

"That  is  not  a  very  long  time,"  said  Flossie; 
"  but  we  are  swift  and  strong,  and  if  we  get 
started  by  this  evening  we  can  travel  many  miles 
during  the  night." 

Claus  decided  to  make  the  attempt,  so  he 
hurried  on  his  preparations  as  fast  as  possible. 
After  a  time  he  fastened  the  collars  around  the 
necks  of  his  steeds  and  harnessed  them  to  his 
rude  sledge.  Then  he  placed  a  stool  on  the 
little  platform,  to  serve  as  a  seat,  and  filled  a 
sack  with  his  prettiest  toys. 

"  How  do  you  intend  to  guide  us  ?  "  asked 
Glossie.  "  We  have  never  been  out  of  the  Forest 
before,  except  to  visit  your  house,  so  we  shall 
not  know  the  way." 

Claus  thought  about  that  for  a  moment. 
127 


C^e  Utt  ano  aDbetttureg  of  ^>attta  Clang 

Then  he  brought  more  cords  and  fastened  two 
of  them  to  the  spreading  antlers  of  each  deer, 
one  on  the  right  and  the  other  on  the  left. 

"  Those  will  be  my  reins,"  said  Claus,  "  and 
when  I  pull  them  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  you 
must  go  in  that  direction.  If  I  do  not  pull  the 
reins  at  all  you  may  go  straight  ahead." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Glossie  and  Flossie ; 
and  then  they  asked  :    "  Are  you  ready  ?  " 

Claus  seated  himself  upon  the  stool,  placed 
the  sack  of  toys  at  his  feet,  and  then  gathered 
up  the  reins. 

"All  ready!"  he  shouted;    "away  we  go!" 

The  deer  leaned  forward,  lifted  their  slender 
limbs,  and  the  next  moment  away  flew  the  sledge 
over  the  frozen  snow.  The  swiftness  of  the  mo- 
tion surprised  Claus,  for  in  a  few  strides  they 
were  across  the  Valley  and  gliding  over  the 
broad  plain  beyond. 

The  day  had  melted  into  evening  by  the  time 
they  started ;    for,  swiftly  as  Claus  had  worked, 


C^e  tift  ana  aabenturcg  of  ^>attta  ClaujS 

many  hours  had  been  consumed  in  making  his 
preparations.  But  the  moon  shone  brightly  to 
light  their  way,  and  Claus  soon  decided  it  was 
just  as  pleasant  to  travel  by  night  as  by  day. 

The  deer  liked  it  better;  for,  although  they 
wished  to  see  something  of  the  world,  they  were 
timid  about  meeting  men,  and  now  all  the 
dwellers  in  the  towns  and  farmhouses  were 
sound  asleep  and  could  not  see  them. 

Away  and  away  they  sped,  on  and  on  over 
the  hills  and  through  the  valleys  and  across  the 
plains  until  they  reached  a  village  where  Claus 
had  never  been  before. 

Here  he  called  on  them  to  stop,  and  they  im- 
mediately obeyed.  But  a  new  difficulty  now 
presented  itself,  for  the  people  had  locked  their 
doors  when  they  went  to  bed,  and  Claus  found 
he  could  not  enter  the  houses  to  leave  his  toys. 

"  I  am  afraid,  my  friends,  we  have  made  our 
journey  for  nothing,"  said  he,  "for  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  carry  my  playthings  back  home  again 

129 


C^c  life  aito  aafcetttureg  of  ^>attta  Claug 


without  giving  them  to  the  children  of  this 
village." 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Flossie. 

"  The  doors  are  locked,"  answered  Claus, 
"  and  I  can  not  get  in." 

Glossie  looked  around  at  the  houses.  The 
snow  was  quite  deep  in  that  village,  and  just 
before  them  was  a  roof  only  a  few  feet  above 
the  sledge.  A  broad  chimney,  which  seemed  to 
Glossie  big  enough  to  admit  Claus,  was  at  the 
peak  of  the  roof. 

"Why  don't  you  climb  down  that  chimney?" 
asked  Glossie. 

Claus  looked  at  it. 

"  That  would  be  easy  enough  if  I  were  on 
top  of  the  roof,"  he  answered. 

"  Then  hold  fast  and  we  will  take  you  there," 
said  the  deer,  and  they  gave  one  bound  to  the 
|    roof  and  landed  beside  the  big  chimney. 

"  Good !  "   cried  Claus,  well  pleased,  and  he 


130 


Ctje  Life  and  aDtocntuteg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

slung  the  pack  of  toys  over  his  shoulder  and  got 
into  the  chimney. 

There  was  plenty  of  soot  on  the  bricks,  but 
he  did  not  mind  that,  and  by  placing  his  hands 
and  knees  against  the  sides  he  crept  downward 
until  he  had  reached  the  fireplace.  Leaping 
lightly  over  the  smoldering  coals  he  found  him- 
self in  a  large  sitting-room,  where  a  dim  light 
was  burning. 

From  this  room  two  doorways  led  into  smaller 
chambers.  In  one  a  woman  lay  asleep,  with  a 
baby  beside  her  in  a  crib. 

Claus  laughed,  but  he  did  not  laugh  aloud 
for  fear  of  waking  the  baby.  Then  he  slipped  a 
big  doll  from  his  pack  and  laid  it  in  the  crib. 
The  little  one  smiled,  as  if  it  dreamed  of  the 
pretty  plaything  it  was  to  find  on  the  morrow, 
and  Claus  crept  softly  from  the  room  and  en- 
tered at  the  other  doorway. 

Here  were  two  boys,  fast  asleep  with  their 
arms  around  each  other's  neck.    Claus  gazed  at 

131 


C^e  Hit  ana  atfoentureg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

them  lovingly  a  moment  and  then  placed  upon 
the  bed  a  drum,  two  horns  and  a  wooden  ele- 
phant. 

He  did  not  linger,  now  that  his  work  in  this 
house  was  done,  but  climbed  the  chimney  again 
and  seated  himself  on  his  sledge. 

"Can  you  find  another  chimney?"  he  asked 
the  reindeer. 

"  Easily  enough,"  replied  Glossie  and  Flossie. 

Down  to  the  edge  of  the  roof  they  raced, 
and  then,  without  pausing,  leaped  through  the 
air  to  the  top  of  the  next  building,  where  a 
huge,  old-fashioned  chimney  stood. 

"  Don't  be  so  long,  this  time,"  called  Flossie, 
"  or  we  shall  never  get  back  to  the  Forest  by 
daybreak." 

Claus  made  a  trip  down  this  chimney  also 
and  found  five  children  sleeping  in  the  house, 
all  of  whom  were  quickly  supplied  with  toys. 

When  he  returned  the  deer  sprang  to  the 
next  roof,  but  on  descending  the  chimney  Claus 

132 


W$z  Life  auo  aobentureg  of  ^anta  Claug 

found  no  children  there  at  all.  That  was  not 
often  the  case  in  this  village,  however,  so  he  lost 
less  time  than  you  might  suppose  in  visiting  the 
dreary  homes  where  there  were  no  little  ones. 

When  he  had  climbed  down  the  chimneys  of 
all  the  houses  in  that  village,  and  had  left  a  toy 
for  every  sleeping  child,  Claus  found  that  his 
great  sack  was  not  yet  half  emptied. 

"Onward,  friends!"  he  called  to  the  deer; 
"we  must  seek  another  village." 

So  away  they  dashed,  although  it  was  long 
past  midnight,  and  in  a  surprisingly  short  time 
they  came  to  a  large  city,  the  largest  Claus  had 
ever  visited  since  he  began  to  make  toys.  But, 
nothing  daunted  by  the  throng  of  houses,  he 
set  to  work  at  once  and  his  beautiful  steeds  car- 
ried him  rapidly  from  one  roof  to  another,  only 
the  highest  being  beyond  the  leaps  of  the  agile 
deer. 

At  last  the  supply  of  toys  was  exhausted  and 
Claus   seated    himself  in    the    sledge,   with   the 

*33 


C^e  life  anD  3Ltit»cnturcjS  of  ^>anta  Claug 

empty  sack  at  his  feet,  and  turned  the  heads  of 
Glossie  and  Flossie  toward  home. 

Presently  Flossie  asked: 

"  What  is  that  gray  streak  in  the  sky  ?  " 

"  It  is  the  coming  dawn  of  day,"  answered 
Claus,  surprised  to  find  that  it  was  so  late. 

"  Good  gracious !  "  exclaimed  Glossie ;  "  then 
we  shall  not  be  home  by  daybreak,  and  the 
Knooks  will  punish  us  and  never  let  us  come 
again." 

"  We  must  race  for  the  Laughing  Valley  and 
make  our  best  speed,"  returned  Flossie;  "so 
hold  fast,  friend  Claus !  " 

Claus  held  fast  and  the  next  moment  was 
flying  so  swiftly  over  the  snow  that  he  could 
not  see  the  trees  as  they  whirled  past.  Up  hill 
and  down  dale,  swift  as  an  arrow  shot  from 
a  bow  they  dashed,  and  Claus  shut  his  eyes  to 
keep  the  wind  out  of  them  and  left  the  deer  to 
find  their  own  way. 

It  seemed  to  him  they  were  plunging  through 

*34 


C^e  JLifc  ano  aofcentutxg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

space,  but  he  was  not  at  all  afraid.  The  Knooks 
were  severe  masters,  and  must  be  obeyed  at  all 
hazards,  and  the  gray  streak  in  the  sky  was 
growing  brighter  every  moment. 

Finally  the  sledge  came  to  a  sudden  stop  and 
Claus,  who  was  taken  unawares,  tumbled  from 
his  seat  into  a  snowdrift.  As  he  picked  himself 
up  he  heard  the  deer  crying: 

"Quick,  friend,  quick!  Cut  away  our  har- 
ness !  " 

He  drew  his  knife  and  rapidly  severed  the 
cords,  and  then  he  wiped  the  moisture  from  his 
eyes  and  looked  around  him. 

The  sledge  had  come  to  a  stop  in  the  Laugh- 
ing Valley,  only  a  few  feet,  he  found,  from  his 
own  doorD  In  the  East  the  day  was  breaking, 
and  turning  to  the  edge  of  Burzee  he  saw  Glos- 
sie  and  Flossie  just  disappearing  in  the  Forest. 


£s>anta  Clang ! " 


CLAUS  thought  that  none  of  the  children 
would  ever  know  where  the  toys  came 
from  which  they  found  by  their  bedsides 
when  they  wakened  the  following  morning.  But 
kindly  deeds  are  sure  to  bring  fame,  and  fame 
has  many  wings  to  carry  its  tidings  into  far  lands ; 
so  for  miles  and  miles  in  every  direction  people 
were  talking  of  Claus  and  his  wonderful  gifts  to 
children.  The  sweet  generousness  of  his  work 
caused  a  few  selfish  folk  to  sneer,  but  even  these 
were  forced  to  admit  their  respect  for  a  man  so 
gentle-natured  that  he  loved  to  devote  his  life 
to  pleasing  the  helpless  little  ones  of  his  race. 

Therefore  the  inhabitants  of  every  city  and 
village  had  been  eagerly  watching  the  coming  of 

136 


€Ije  life  ana  atfoetttureg  of  ^anta  Claug 

Claus,  and  remarkable  stones  of  his  beautiful 
playthings  were  told  the  children  to  keep  them 
patient  and  contented. 

When,  on  the  morning  following  the  first  trip 
of  Claus  with  his  deer,  the  little  ones  came  run- 
ning to  their  parents  with  the  pretty  toys  they 
had  found,  and  asked  from  whence  they  came, 
there  was  but  one  reply  to  the  question. 

"  The  good  Claus  must  have  been  here,  my 
darlings;  for  his  are  the  only  toys  in  all  the 
world !  " 

"But  how  did  he  get  in?"  asked  the  children. 

At  this  the  fathers  shook  their  heads,  being 
themselves  unable  to  understand  how  Claus  had 
gained  admittance  to  their  homes;  but  the 
mothers,  watching  the  glad  faces  of  their  dear 
ones,  whispered  that  the  good  Claus  was  no 
mortal  man  but  assuredly  a  Saint,  and  they 
piously  blessed  his  name  for  the  happiness  he 
had  bestowed  upon  their  children. 

"  A  Saint,"  said  one,  with  bowed  head,  "  has 

J37 


C^e  life  and  aotocntutcg  of  ^>attta  Claujs 

no  need  to  unlock  doors  if  it  pleases  him  to 
enter  our  homes." 

And,  afterward,  when  a  child  was  naughty  or 
disobedient,  its  mother  would  say: 

"  You  must  pray  to  the  good  Santa  Claus  for 
forgiveness.  He  does  not  like  naughty  children, 
and,  unless  you  repent,  he  will  bring  you  no 
more  pretty  toys." 

But  Santa  Claus  himself  would  not  have  ap- 
proved this  speech.  He  brought  toys  to  the 
children  because  they  were  little  and  helpless, 
and  because  he  loved  them.  He  knew  that  the 
best  of  children  were  sometimes  naughty,  and 
that  the  naughty  ones  were  often  good.  It  is 
the  way  with  children,  the  world  over,  and  he 
would  not  have  changed  their  natures  had  he 
possessed  the  power  to  do  so. 

And  that  is  how  our  Claus  became  Santa 
Claus.  It  is  possible  for  any  man,  by  good 
deeds,  to  enshrine  himself  as  a  Saint  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people. 


T 


~^HE  day  that  broke  as  Glaus  returned 
from  his  night  ride  with  Glossie  and 
Flossie  brought  to  him  a  new  trouble. 
Will  Knook,  the  chief  guardian  of  the  deer, 
came  to  him,  surly  and  ill-tempered,  to  com- 
plain that  he  had  kept  Glossie  and  Flossie  be- 
yond daybreak,  in  opposition  to  his  orders» 

"Yet  it  could  not  have  been  very  long  after 
daybreak,"  said  Claus. 

"  It  was  one  minute  after,"  answered  Will 
Knook,  "  and  that  is  as  bad  as  one  hour.  I  shall 
set  the  stinging  gnats  on  Glossie  and  Flossie, 
and  they  will  thus  suffer  terribly  for  their  dis- 
obedience." 


*39 


Clje  JLtfe  and  atfoentirceg  of  ^>anta  eiaug 

"Don't  do  that!"  begged  Claus.  "It  was 
my  fault." 

But  Will  Knook  would  listen  to  no  excuses, 
and  went  away  grumbling  and  growling  in  his 
ill-natured  way. 

For  this  reason  Claus  entered  the  Forest  to 
consult  Necile  about  rescuing  the  good  deer 
from  punishment.  To  his  delight  he  found  his 
old  friend,  the  Master  Woodsman,  seated  in  the 
circle  of  Nymphs. 

Ak  listened  to  the  story  of  the  night  journey 
to  the  children  and  of  the  great  assistance  the 
deer  had  been  to  Claus  by  drawing  his  sledge 
over  the  frozen  snow. 

"  I  do  not  wish  my  friends  to  be  punished  if 
I  can  save  them,"  said  the  toy-maker,  when  he 
had  finished  the  relation.  "  They  were  only  one 
minute  late,  and  they  ran  swifter  than  a  bird 
flies  to  get  home  before  daybreak." 

Ak  stroked  his  beard  thoughtfully  a  moment, 
and   then  sent   for  the   Prince   of  the   Knooks, 

140 


C^e  Life  attD  aDtocututeg  of  ^attta  Claug 

who  rules  all  his  people  in  Burzee,  and  also  for 
the  Queen  of  the  Fairies  and  the  Prince  of 
the  Ryls. 

When  all  had  assembled  Claus  told  his  story 
again,  at  Ak's  command,  and  then  the  Master 
addressed  the  Prince  of  the  Knooks,  saying : 

"  The  good  work  that  Claus  is  doing  among 
mankind  deserves  the  support  of  every  honest 
immortal.  Already  he  is  called  a  Saint  in  some 
of  the  towns,  and  before  long  the  name  of  Santa 
Claus  will  be  lovingly  known  in  every  home 
that  is  blessed  with  children.  Moreover,  he  is  a 
son  of  our  Forest,  so  we  owe  him  our  encour- 
agement. You,  Ruler  of  the  Knooks,  have 
known  him  these  many  years ;  am  I  not  right 
in  saying  he  deserves  our  friendship  ?  " 

The  Prince,  crooked  and  sour  of  visage  as  all 
Knooks  are,  looked  only  upon  the  dead  leaves 
at  his  feet  and  muttered :  "  You  are  the  Master 
Woodsman  of  the  World  !  " 

Ak  smiled,  but  continued,  in  soft  tones:    "It 

141 


Cl)e  Life  ant)  atfocnturcg  of  ^>anta  Claus 

seems  that  the  deer  which  are  guarded  by  your 
people  can  be  of  great  assistance  to  Claus,  and 
as  they  seem  willing  to  draw  his  sledge  I  beg 
that  you  will  permit  him  to  use  their  services 
whenever  he  pleases." 

The  Prince  did  not  reply,  but  tapped  the 
curled  point  of  his  sandal  with  the  tip  of  his 
spear,  as  if  in  thought. 

Then  the  Fairy  Queen  spoke  to  him  in  this 
way:  "If  you  consent  to  Ak's  request  I  will 
see  that  no  harm  comes  to  your  deer  while  they 
are  away  from  the  Forest." 

And  the  Prince  of  the  Ryls  added:  "For  my 
part  I  will  allow  to  every  deer  that  assists  Claus 
the  privilege  of  eating  my  casa  plants,  which 
give  strength,  and  my  grawle  plants,  which  give 
fleetness  of  foot,  and  my  marbon  plants,  which 
give  long  life." 

And  the  Queen  of  the  Nymphs  said :  "  The 
deer  which  draw  the  sledge  of  Claus  will  be 
permitted  to  bathe  in  the  Forest  pool  of  Nares, 

142 


C^e  life  and  atfoentirceg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

which  will  give  them  sleek  coats  and  wonderful 
beauty." 

The  Prince  of  the  Knooks,  hearing  these 
promises,  shifted  uneasily  on  his  seat,  for  in  his 
heart  he  hated  to  refuse  a  request  of  his  fellow 
immortals,  although  they  were  asking  an  unusual 
favor  at  his  hands,  and  the  Knooks  are  unaccus- 
tomed to  granting  favors  of  any  kind.  Finally 
he  turned  to  his  servants  and  said: 

«  Call  Will  Knook." 

When  surly  Will  came  and  heard  the  demands 
of  the  immortals  he  protested  loudly  against 
granting  them. 

"  Deer  are  deer,"  said  he,  "  and  nothing  but 
deer.  Were  they  horses  it  would  be  right  to 
harness  them  like  horses.  But  no  one  harnesses 
deer  because  they  are  free,  wild  creatures,  owing 
no  service  of  any  sort  to  mankind.  It  would 
degrade  my  deer  to  labor  for  Claus,  who  is  only 
a  man  in  spite  of  the  friendship  lavished  on 
him  by  the  immortals." 

i43 


C^e  life  and  aDfoetttureg  of  ^>attta  Clauds 

"  You  have  heard,"  said  the  Prince  to  Ak. 
"  There  is  truth  in  what  Will  says." 

"Call  Glossie  and  Flossie,"  returned  the 
Master. 

The  deer  were  brought  to  the  conference  and 
Ak  asked  them  if  they  objected  to  drawing  the 
sledge  for  Claus. 

"No,  indeed!  "  replied  Glossie;  "we  enjoyed 
the  trip  very  much." 

"And  we  tried  hard  to  get  home  by  day- 
break," added  Flossie,  "  but  were  unfortunately 
a  minute  too  late." 

"A  minute  lost  at  daybreak  doesn't  matter," 
said  Ak.    "  You  are  forgiven  for  that  delay." 

"  Provided  it  does  not  happen  again,"  said 
the  Prince  of  the  Knooks,  sternly. 

"  And  will  you  permit  them  to  make  another 
journey  with  me  ?  "  asked  Claus,  eagerly. 

The  Prince  reflected  while  he  gazed  at  Will, 
who  was  scowling,  and  at  the  Master  Woods- 
man, who  was  smiling. 

144 


C^e  Life  ana  aobentttteg  of  ^anta  Claujs 

Then  he  stood  up  and  addressed  the  com- 
pany as  follows : 

"  Since  you  all  urge  me  to  grant  the  favor  I 
will  permit  the  deer  to  go  with  Claus  once  every 
year,  on  Christmas  Eve,  provided  they  always 
return  to  the  Forest  by  daybreak.  He  may  select 
any  number  he  pleases,  up  to  ten,  to  draw  his 
sledge,  and  those  shall  be  known  among  us  as 
Reindeer,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  others. 
And  they  shall  bathe  in  the  Pool  of  Nares,  and 
eat  the  casa  and  grawle  and  marbon  plants  and 
shall  be  under  the  especial  protection  of  the 
Fairy  Queen.  And  now  cease  scowling,  Will 
Knook,  for  my  words  shall  be  obeyed !  " 

He  hobbled  quickly  away  through  the  trees,  *tf' 
to  avoid  the  thanks  of  Claus  and  the  approval 
of  the   other    immortals,   and   Will,   looking  as 
cross  as  ever,  followed  him. 

But  Ak  was  satisfied,  knowing  that  he  could 
rely  on  the  promise  of  the  Prince,  however 
grudgingly  given ;    and  Glossie  and    Flossie  ran 

H5 


Ci)c  Life  ana  SHfocntureg  of  ^>auta  Clang 

home,  kicking  up  their  heels  delightedly  at  every 
step. 

"  When  is  Christmas  Eve  ?  "  Claus  asked  the 
Master. 

"  In  about  ten  days,"  he  replied. 

"  Then  I  can  not  use  the  deer  this  year,"  said 
Claus,  thoughtfully,  "  for  I  shall  not  have  time 
enough  to  make  my  sackful  of  toys." 

"  The  shrewd  Prince  foresaw  that,"  responded 
Ak,  "  and  therefore  named  Christmas  Eve  as 
the  day  you  might  use  the  deer,  knowing  it 
would  cause  you  to  lose  an  entire  year." 

"  If  I  only  had  the  toys  the  Awgwas  stole 
from  me,"  said  Claus,  sadly,  "  I  could  easily  fill 
my  sack  for  the  children." 

"  Where  are  they  ?  "  asked  the  Master. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  Claus,  "  but  the 
wicked  Awgwas  probably  hid  them  in  the 
mountains." 

Ak  turned  to  the  Fairy  Queen. 

"  Can  you  find  them  ?  "  he  asked. 

146 


C^e  life  anD  atfoentmress  of  ^attta  Clauss 

"  I  will  try,"  she  replied,  brightly. 

Then  Glaus  went  back  to  the  Laughing  Val- 
ley, to  work  as  hard  as  he  could,  and  a  band  of 
Fairies  immediately  flew  to  the  mountain  that 
had  been  haunted  by  the  Awgwas  and  began  a 
search  for  the  stolen  toys. 

The  Fairies,  as  we  well  know,  possess  won- 
derful powers;  but  the  cunning  Awgwas  had 
hidden  the  toys  in  a  deep  cave  and  covered  the 
opening  with  rocks,  so  no  one  could  look  in. 
Therefore  all  search  for  the  missing  playthings 
proved  in  vain  for  several  days,  and  Claus,  who 
sat  at  home  waiting  for  news  from  the  Fairies, 
almost  despaired  of  getting  the  toys  before 
Christmas  Eve. 

He  worked  hard  every  moment,  but  it  took 
considerable  time  to  carve  out  and  to  shape 
each  toy  and  to  paint  it  properly,  so  that  on 
the  morning  before  Christmas  Eve  only  half  of 
one  small  shelf  above  the  window  was  filled 
with  playthings  ready  for  the  children. 

H7 


C^c  Life  ano  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

But  on  this  morning  the  Fairies  who  were 
searching  in  the  mountains  had  a  new  thought. 
They  joined  hands  and  moved  in  a  straight  line 
through  the  rocks  that  formed  the  mountain, 
beginning  at  the  topmost  peak  and  working 
downward,  so  that  no  spot  could  be  missed  by 
their  bright  eyes.  And  at  last  they  discovered 
the  cave  where  the  toys  had  been  heaped  up  by 
the  wicked  Awgwas. 

It  did  not  take  them  long  to  burst  open  the 
mouth  of  the  cave,  and  then  each  one  seized  as 
many  toys  as  he  could  carry  and  they  all  flew 
to  Claus  and  laid  the  treasure  before  him. 

The  good  man  was  rejoiced  to  receive,  just 
in  the  nick  of  time,  such  a  store  of  playthings 
with  which  to  load  his  sledge,  and  he  sent 
word  to  Glossie  and  Flossie  to  be  ready  for  the 
journey  at  nightfall. 

With  all  his  other  labors  he  had  managed  to 
find  time,  since  the  last  trip,  to  repair  the  har- 
ness and  to  strengthen  his  sledge,  so  that  when 


C^e  Life  auo  atfoentutcg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

the  deer  came  to  him  at  twilight  he  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  harnessing  them. 

"  We  must  go  in  another  direction  to-night," 
he  told  them,  "where  we  shall  find  children  I 
have  never  yet  visited.  And  we  must  travel  fast 
and  work  quickly,  for  my  sack  is  full  of  toys 
and  running  over  the  brim !  " 

So,  just  as  the  moon  arose,  they  dashed  out 
of  the  Laughing  Valley  and  across  the  plain  and 
over  the  hills  to  the  south.  The  air  was  sharp 
and  frosty  and  the  starlight  touched  the  snow- 
flakes  and  made  them  glitter  like  countless 
diamonds.  The  reindeer  leaped  onward  with 
strong,  steady  bounds,  and  Claus'  heart  was  so 
light  and  merry  that  he  laughed  and  sang  while 
the  wind  whistled  past  his  ears : 

"With  a  ho,  ho,  ho! 
And  a  ha,  ha,  ha ! 
And  a  ho,  ho !   ha,  ha,  hee ! 


149 


C^e  Life  and  attoentureg  of  ^>attta  Claug 


Now  away  we  go 
O'er  the  frozen  snow, 
As  merry  as  we  can  be !  " 


Jack  Frost  heard  him  and  came  racing  up 
with  his  nippers,  but  when  he  saw  it  was  Claus 
he  laughed  and  turned  away  again. 

The  mother  owls  heard  him  as  he  passed  near 
a  wood  and  stuck  their  heads  out  of  the  hollow 
places  in  the  tree-trunks;  but  when  they  saw 
who  it  was  they  whispered  to  the  owlets  nestling 
near  them  that  it  was  only  Santa  Claus  carrying 
toys  to  the  children.  It  is  strange  how  much 
those  mother  owls  know. 

Claus  stopped  at  some  of  the  scattered  farm- 
houses and  climbed  down  the  chimneys  to  leave 
presents  for  the  babies.  Soon  after  he  reached 
a  village  and  worked  merrily  for  an  hour  distrib- 
uting playthings  among  the  sleeping  little  ones. 
Then  away  again  he  went,  singing  his  joyous 
?  carol : 

*5° 


Clje  Life  anti  atfoentureg  of  ^anta  Claug 

"  Now  away  we  go 

O'er  the  gleaming  snow, 
While  the  deer  run  swift  and  free ! 

For  to  girls  and  boys 

We  carry  the  toys 
That  will  fill  their  hearts  with  glee !  " 

The  deer  liked  the  sound  of  his  deep  bass 
voice  and  kept  time  to  the  song  with  their  hoof- 
beats  on  the  hard  snow;  but  soon  they  stopped 
at  another  chimney  and  Santa  Claus,  with  spark- 
ling eyes  and  face  brushed  red  by  the  wind, 
climbed  down  its  smoky  sides  and  left  a  present 
for  every  child  the  house  contained. 

It  was  a  merry,  happy  night.  Swiftly  the  deer 
ran,  and  busily  their  driver  worked  to  scatter  his 
gifts  among  the  sleeping  children. 

But  the  sack  was  empty  at  last,  and  the  sledge 
headed  homeward ;  and  now  again  the  race  with 
daybreak  began.  Glossie  and  Flossie  had  no 
mind  to  be  rebuked  a  second  time  for  tardiness, 

I5I 


Clje  Life  ana  attoentureg  of  ^>auta  Claujs 

so  they  fled  with  a  swiftness  that  enabled  them 
to  pass  the  gale  on  which  the  Frost  King  rode, 
and  soon  brought  them  to  the  Laughing  Valley. 

It  is  true  that  when  Claus  released  his  steeds 
from  their  harness  the  eastern  sky  was  streaked 
with  gray,  but  Glossie  and  Flossie  were  deep  in 
the  Forest  before  day  fairly  broke. 

Claus  was  so  wearied  with  his  night's  work 
that  he  threw  himself  upon  his  bed  and  fell  into 
a  deep  slumber,  and  while  he  slept  the  Christ- 
mas sun  appeared  in  the  sky  and  shone  upon 
hundreds  of  happy  homes  where  the  sound  of 
childish  laughter  proclaimed  that  Santa  Claus 
had  made  them  a  visit. 

God  bless  him !  It  was  his  first  Christmas 
Eve,  and  for  hundreds  of  years  since  then  he 
has  nobly  fulfilled  his  mission  to  bring  happi- 
ness to  the  hearts  of  little  children. 


CHAPTER  ELEVENTH 


t^otu  ti)t  fftgt  ^tocfctngg  mere  ^img  by  t^e  Canute? 


WHEN  you  remember  that  no  child,  un- 
til Santa  Claus  began  his  travels,  had 
ever  known  the  pleasure  of  possessing 
a  toy,  you  will  understand  how  joy  crept  into 
the  homes  of  those  who  had  been  favored  with 
a  visit  from  the  good  man,  and  how  they  talked 
of  him  day  by  day  in  loving  tones  and  were 
honestly  grateful  for  his  kindly  deeds.  It  is  true 
that  great  warriors  and  mighty  kings  and  clever 
scholars  of  that  day  were  often  spoken  of  by 
the  people ;  but  no  one  of  them  was  so  greatly 
beloved  as  Santa  Claus,  because  none  other  was 
so  unselfish  as  to  devote  himself  to  making 
others  happy.    For  a  generous  deed  lives  longer 

*53 


Clje  Life  anD  atfoentuteg  of  ^>anta  Clans 

than  a  great  battle  or  a  king's  decree  or  a 
scholar's  essay,  because  it  spreads  and  leaves  its 
mark  on  all  nature  and  endures  through  many 
generations. 

The  bargain  made  with  the  Knook  Prince 
changed  the  plans  of  Claus  for  all  future  time ; 
for,  being  able  to  use  the  reindeer  on  but  one 
night  of  each  year,  he  decided  to  devote  all  the 
other  days  to  the  manufacture  of  playthings, 
and  on  Christmas  Eve  to  carry  them  to  the 
children  of  the  world. 

But  a  year's  work  would,  he  knew,  result  in 
a  vast  accumulation  of  toys,  so  he  resolved  to 
build  a  new  sledge  that  would  be  larger  and 
stronger  and  better-fitted  for  swift  travel  than 
the  old  and  clumsy  one. 

His  first  act  was  to  visit  the  Gnome  King, 
with  whom  he  made  a  bargain  to  exchange 
three  drums,  a  trumpet  and  two  dolls  for  a  pair 
of  fine  steel  runners,  curled  beautifully  at  the 
ends.    For  the  Gnome  King  had  children  of  his 

*54 


€^e  Life  attD  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

own,  who,  living  in  the  hollows  under  the  earth, 
in  mines  and  caverns,  needed  something  to 
amuse  them. 

In  three  days  the  steel  runners  were  ready, 
and  when  Claus  brought  the  playthings  to  the 
Gnome  King,  his  Majesty  was  so  greatly  pleased 
with  them  that  he  presented  Claus  with  a  string 
of  sweet-toned  sleigh-bells,  in  addition  to  the 
runners. 

"  These  will  please  Glossie  and  Flossie,"  said 
Claus,  as  he  jingled  the  bells  and  listened  to 
their  merry  sound.  "  But  I  should  have  two 
strings  of  bells,  one  for  each  deer." 

"  Bring  me  another  trumpet  and  a  toy  cat," 
replied  the  King,  "  and  you  shall  have  a  second 
string  of  bells  like  the  first." 

"  It  is  a  bargain !  "  cried  Claus,  and  he  went 
home  again  for  the  toys. 

The  new  sledge  was  carefully  built,  the 
Knooks  bringing  plenty  of  strong  but  thin 
boards  to  use  in  its  construction.    Claus  made 


i55 


Cl)c  life  anD  atfocntureg  of  ^anta  Clang 

a  high,  rounding  dash-board  to  keep  off  the 
snow  cast  behind  by  the  fleet  hoofs  of  the  deer; 
and  he  made  high  sides  to  the  platform  so  that 
many  toys  could  be  carried,  and  finally  he 
mounted  the  sledge  upon  the  slender  steel  run- 
ners made  by  the  Gnome  King. 

It  was  certainly  a  handsome  sledge,  and  big 
and  roomy.  Claus  painted  it  in  bright  colors, 
although  no  one  was  likely  to  see  it  during  his 
midnight  journeys,  and  when  all  was  finished  he 
sent  for  Glossie  and  Flossie  to  come  and  look 
at  it. 

The  deer  admired  the  sledge,  but  gravely  de- 
clared it  was  too  big  and  heavy  for  them  to 
draw. 

"We  might  pull  it  over  the  snow,  to  be  sure," 
said  Glossie ;  "  but  we  could  not  pull  it  fast 
enough  to  enable  us  to  visit  the  far-away  cities 
and  villages  and  return  to  the  Forest  by  day- 
break." 

"  Then  I  must  add  two  more  deer  to  my 
156 


C^e  JLffe  and  aDfoentutejs  of  ^anta  Claus 

team,"  declared  Claus,  after  a  moment's 
thought. 

"  The  Knook  Prince  allowed  you  as  many  as 
ten.  Why  not  use  them  all?"  asked  Flossie. 
"  Then  we  could  speed  like  the  lightning  and 
leap  to  the  highest  roofs  with  ease." 

"A  team  of  ten  reindeer!"  cried  Claus,  de- 
lightedly. "  That  will  be  splendid.  Please  return 
to  the  Forest  at  once  and  select  eight  other  deer 
as  like  yourselves  as  possible.  And  you  must  all 
eat  of  the  casa  plant,  to  become  strong,  and  of 
the  grawle  plant,  to  become  fleet  of  foot,  and  of 
the  marbon  plant,  that  you  may  live  long  to  ac- 
company me  on  my  journeys.  Likewise  it  will 
be  well  for  you  to  bathe  in  the  Pool  of  Nares, 
which  the  lovely  Queen  Zurline  declares  will 
render  you  rarely  beautiful.  Should  you  per- 
form these  duties  faithfully  there  is  no  doubt 
that  on  next  Christmas  Eve  my  ten  reindeer 
will  be  the  most  powerful  and  beautiful  steeds 
the  world  has  ever  seen  !  " 

i57 


€i)e  Life  and  ^Dtocnturcg  of  ^auta  Claug 

So  Glossie  and  Flossie  went  to  the  Forest  to 
choose  their  mates,  and  Claus  began  to  consider 
the  question  of  a  harness  for  them  all. 

In  the  end  he  called  upon  Peter  Knook  for 
assistance,  for  Peter's  heart  is  as  kind  as  his  body 
is  crooked,  and  he  is  remarkably  shrewd,  as  well. 
And  Peter  agreed  to  furnish  strips  of  tough 
leather  for  the  harness. 

This  leather  was  cut  from  the  skins  of  lions 
that  had  reached  such  an  advanced  age  that  they 
died  naturally,  and  on  one  side  was  tawny  hair 
while  the  other  side  was  cured  to  the  softness  of 
velvet  by  the  deft  Knooks.  When  Claus  received 
these  strips  of  leather  he  sewed  them  neatly  into 
a  harness  for  the  ten  reindeer,  and  it  proved 
strong  and  serviceable  and  lasted  him  for  many 
years. 

The  harness  and  sledge  were  prepared  at  odd 
times,  for  Claus  devoted  most  of  his  days  to  the 
making  of  toys.  These  were  now  much  better 
than  his  first  ones  had  been,  for  the  immortals 

158 


Ctye  Life  ano  aatientirceg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

often  came  to  his  house  to  watch  him  work  and 
to  offer  suggestions.  It  was  Necile's  idea  to 
make  some  of  the  dolls  say  "papa"  and  "mama." 
It  was  a  thought  of  the  Knooks  to  put  a  squeak 
inside  the  lambs,  so  that  when  a  child  squeezed 
them  they  would  say  "  baa-a-a-a !  "  And  the 
Fairy  Queen  advised  Claus  to  put  whistles  in 
the  birds,  so  they  could  be  made  to  sing,  and 
wheels  on  the  horses,  so  children  could  draw 
them  around.  Many  animals  perished  in  the 
Forest,  from  one  cause  or  another,  and  their  fur 
was  brought  to  Claus  that  he  might  cover  with 
it  the  small  images  of  beasts  he  made  for  play- 
things. A  merry  Ryl  suggested  that  Claus  make 
a  donkey  with  a  nodding  head,  which  he  did, 
and  afterward  found  that  it  amused  the  little 
ones  immensely.  And  so  the  toys  grew  in 
beauty  and  attractiveness  every  day,  until  they 
were  the  wonder  of  even  the  immortals. 

When  another  Christmas  Eve  drew  near  there 
was   a  monster  load   of  beautiful   gifts   for   the 

*S9 


C^e  life  ant)  atfoetttureg  of  ^attta  Claug 

children  ready  to  be  loaded  upon  the  big  sledge. 
Claus  filled  three  sacks  to  the  brim,  and  tucked 
every  corner  of  the  sledge-box  full  of  toys  be- 
sides. 

Then,  at  twilight,  the  ten  reindeer  appeared 
and  Flossie  introduced  them  all  to  Claus.  They 
were  Racer  and  Pacer,  Reckless  and  Speckless, 
Fearless  and  Peerless,  and  Ready  and  Steady, 
who,  with  Glossie  and  Flossie,  made  up  the  ten 
who  have  traversed  the  world  these  hundreds  of 
years  with  their  generous  master.  They  were  all 
exceedingly  beautiful,  with  slender  limbs,  spread- 
ing antlers,  velvety  dark  eyes  and  smooth  coats 
of  fawn  color  spotted  with  white. 

Claus  loved  them  at  once,  and  has  loved  them 
ever  since,  for  they  are  loyal  friends  and  have 
rendered  him  priceless  service. 

The  new  harness  fitted  them  nicely  and  soon 
they  were  all  fastened  to  the  sledge  by  twos, 
with  Glossie  and  Flossie  in  the  lead.  These 
wore  the  strings  of  sleigh-bells,  and  were  so  de- 

160 


C^e  life  anD  atfoentuteg  of  ^anta  Claitf 

lighted  with  the  music  they  made  that  they  kept 
prancing  up  and  down  to  make  the  bells  ring. 

Claus  now  seated  himself  in  the  sledge,  drew 
a  warm  robe  over  his  knees  and  his  fur  cap  over 
his  ears,  and  cracked  his  long  whip  as  a  signal 
to  start. 

Instantly  the  ten  leaped  forward  and  were 
away  like  the  wind,  while  jolly  Claus  laughed 
gleefully  to  see  them  run  and  shouted  a  song  in 
his  big,  hearty  voice : 

"With  a  ho,  ho,  ho! 

And  a  ha,  ha,  ha ! 
And  a  ho,  ho,  ha,  ha,  hee ! 

Now  away  we  go 

O'er  the  frozen  snow, 
As  merry  as  we  can  be ! 


There  are  many  joys 
In  our  load  of  toys, 
As  many  a  child  will  know; 
161 


€^e  JLife  ana  atfoentutreg  of  ^>attta  Claug 

We'll  scatter  them  wide 
On  our  wild  night  ride 
O'er  the  crisp  and  sparkling  snow !  " 


Now  it  was  on  this  same  Christmas  Eve  that 
little  Margot  and  her  brother  Dick  and  her 
cousins  Ned  and  Sara,  who  were  visiting  at 
Margot's  house,  came  in  from  making  a  snow 
man,  with  their  clothes  damp,  their  mittens  drip- 
ping and  their  shoes  and  stockings  wet  through 
and  through.  They  were  not  scolded,  for  Mar- 
got's mother  knew  the  snow  was  melting,  but 
they  were  sent  early  to  bed  that  their  clothes 
might  be  hung  over  chairs  to  dry.  The  shoes 
were  placed  on  the  red  tiles  of  the  hearth, 
where  the  heat  from  the  hot  embers  would 
strike  them,  and  the  stockings  were  carefully 
hung  in  a  row  by  the  chimney,  directly  over  the 
fireplace. 

That  was  the  reason  Santa  Claus  noticed 
them  when    he    came   down    the   chimney  that 

162 


C^e  Htfe  an&  aDfoentureg  of  ^anta  Claug 

night  and  all  the  household  were  fast  asleep. 
He  was  in  a  tremendous  hurry,  and  seeing  the 
stockings  all  belonged  to  children  he  quickly 
stuffed  his  toys  into  them  and  dashed  up  the 
chimney  again,  appearing  on  the  roof  so  sud- 
denly that  the  reindeer  were  astonished  at  his 
agility. 

"  I  wish  they  would  all  hang  up  their  stock- 
ings," he  thought,  as  he  drove  to  the  next 
chimney.  "  It  would  save  me  a  lot  of  time  and 
I  could  then  visit  more  children  before  day- 
break." 

When  Margot  and  Dick  and  Ned  and  Sara 
jumped  out  of  bed  next  morning  and  ran  down- 
stairs to  get  their  stockings  from  the  fireplace 
they  were  filled  with  delight  to  find  the  toys 
from  Santa  Claus  inside  them.  In  fact,  I  think 
they  found  more  presents  in  their  stockings  than 
any  other  children  of  that  city  had  received, 
for  Santa  Claus  was  in  a  hurry  and  did  not 
PTftstop  to  count  the  toys. 


Clje  life  and  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

Of  course  they  told  all  their  little  friends 
about  it,  and  of  course  every  one  of  them  de- 
cided to  hang  his  own  stockings  by  the  fire- 
place the  next  Christmas  Eve.  Even  Bessie 
Blithesome,  who  made  a  visit  to  that  city  with 
her  father,  the  great  Lord  of  Lerd,  heard  the 
story  from  the  children  and  hung  her  own  pretty 
stockings  by  the  chimney  when  she  returned 
home  at  Christmas  time. 

On  his  next  trip  Santa  Claus  found  so  many 
stockings  hung  up  in  anticipation  of  his  visit 
that  he  could  fill  them  in  a  jiffy  and  be  away 
again  in  half  the  time  required  to  hunt  the 
children  up  and  place  the  toys  by  their  bed- 
sides. 

The  custom  grew  year  after  year,  and  has 
always  been  a  great  help  to  Santa  Claus.  And, 
with  so  many  children  to  visit,  he  surely  needs 
all  the  help  we  are  able  to  give  him. 


C^e  tfitsst  C&rtetmag  %m 


CLAUS  has  always  kept  his  promise  to  the 
Knooks  by  returning  to  the  Laughing 
Valley  by  daybreak,  but  only  the  swift- 
ness of  his  reindeer  has  enabled  him  to  do  this, 
for  he  travels  over  all  the  world. 

He  loved  his  work  and  he  loved  the  brisk 
night  ride  on  his  sledge  and  the  gay  tinkle  of 
the  sleigh-bells.  On  that  first  trip  with  the  ten 
reindeer  only  Glossie  and  Flossie  wore  bells ; 
but  each  year  thereafter  for  eight  years  Claus 
carried  presents  to  the  children  of  the  Gnome 
King,  and  that  good-natured  monarch  gave  him 
in  return  a  string  of  bells  at  each  visit,  so  that 
finally  every  one  of  the  ten  deer  was  supplied, 

165 


C^e  life  anD  SUfocnturcg  of  fbanta  Clatig 

and  you  may  imagine  what  a  merry  tune  the 
bells  played  as  the  sledge  sped  over  the  snow. 

The  children's  stockings  were  so  long  that  it 
required  a  great  many  toys  to  fill  them,  and 
soon  Claus  found  there  were  other  things  be- 
sides toys  that  children  love.  So  he  sent  some 
of  the  Fairies,  who  were  always  his  good  friends, 
into  the  Tropics,  from  whence  they  returned  with 
great  bags  full  of  oranges  and  bananas  which 
they  had  plucked  from  the  trees.  And  other 
Fairies  flew  to  the  wonderful  Valley  of  Phunny- 
land,  where  delicious  candies  and  bonbons  grow 
thickly  on  the  bushes,  and  returned  laden  with 
many  boxes  of  sweetmeats  for  the  little  ones. 
These  things  Santa  Claus,  on  each  Christmas 
Eve,  placed  in  the  long  stockings,  together  with 
his  toys,  and  the  children  were  glad  to  get  them, 
you  may  be  sure. 

There  are  also  warm  countries  where  there 
is  no  snow  in  winter,  but  Claus  and  his  reindeer 
visited   them   as   well   as   the   colder  climes,  for 

166 


C^e  life  anD  aDbcntutxg  of  ^anta  Claug 

there  were  little  wheels  inside  the  runners  of  his 
sledge  which  permitted  it  to  run  as  smoothly 
over  bare  ground  as  on  the  snow.  And  the  chil- 
dren who  lived  in  the  warm  countries  learned 
to  know  the  name  of  Santa  Claus  as  well  as 
those  who  lived  nearer  to  the    Laughing  Valley. 

Once,  just  as  the  reindeer  were  ready  to  start 
on  their  yearly  trip,  a  Fairy  came  to  Claus  and 
told  him  of  three  little  children  who  lived  be- 
neath a  rude  tent  of  skins  on  a  broad  plain 
where  there  were  no  trees  whatever.  These  poor 
babies  were  miserable  and  unhappy,  for  their 
parents  were  ignorant  people  who  neglected 
them  sadly.  Claus  resolved  to  visit  these  children 
before  he  returned  home,  and  during  his  ride  he 
picked  up  the  bushy  top  of  a  pine  tree  which 
the  wind  had  broken  off  and  placed  it  in  his 
sledge. 

It  was  nearly  morning  when  the  deer  stopped 
before  the  lonely  tent  of  skins  where  the  poor 
children  lay  asleep.    Claus  at  once  planted  the 

167 


C^e  Life  and  atibentutcg  of  ^aitta  Claug 

bit  of  pine  tree  in  the  sand  and  stuck  many 
candles  on  the  branches.  Then  he  hung  some 
of  his  prettiest  toys  on  the  tree,  as  well  as  sev- 
eral bags  of  candies.  It  did  not  take  long  to  do 
all  this,  for  Santa  Claus  works  quickly,  and  when 
all  was  ready  he  lighted  the  candles  and,  thrust- 
ing his  head  in  at  the  opening  of  the  tent,  he 
shouted : 

"Merry  Christmas,  little  ones!" 

With  that  he  leaped  into  his  sledge  and  was 
out  of  sight  before  the  children,  rubbing  the 
sleep  from  their  eyes,  could  come  out  to  see 
who  had  called  them. 

You  can  imagine  the  wonder  and  joy  of  those 
little  ones,  who  had  never  in  their  lives  known 
a  real  pleasure  before,  when  they  saw  the  tree, 
sparkling  with  lights  that  shone  brilliant  in  the 
gray  dawn  and  hung  with  toys  enough  to  make 
them  happy  for  years  to  come!  They  joined 
hands  and  danced  around  the  tree,  shouting  and 
laughing,  until  they  were  obliged  to  pause  for 

1 68 


C^e  life  ana  atfoetttirceg  of  ^>anta  €lam 


breath.  And  their  parents,  also,  came  out  to 
look  and  wonder,  and  thereafter  had  more  re- 
spect and  consideration  for  their  children,  since 
Santa  Claus  had  honored  them  with  such  beau- 
tiful gifts. 

The  idea  of  the  Christmas  tree  pleased  Claus, 
and  so  the  following  year  he  carried  many  of 
them  in  his  sledge  and  set  them  up  in  the  homes 
of  poor  people  who  seldom  saw  trees,  and  placed 
candles  and  toys  on  the  branches.  Of  course  he 
could  not  carry  enough  trees  in  one  load  for  all 
who  wanted  them,  but  in  some  homes  the  fathers 
were  able  to  get  trees  and  have  them  all  ready 
for  Santa  Claus  when  he  arrived;  and  these  the 
good  Claus  always  decorated  as  prettily  as  pos- 
sible and  hung  with  toys  enough  for  all  the 
children  who  came  to  see  the  tree  lighted. 

These  novel  ideas  and  the  generous  manner 
in  which  they  were  carried  out  made  the  chil- 
dren long  for  that  one  night  in  the  year  when 
their  friend  Santa  Claus  should  visit  them,  and 

169 


C^e  Life  ana  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

as  such  anticipation  is  very  pleasant  and  com- 
forting the  little  ones  gleaned  much  happiness 
by  wondering  what  would  happen  when  Santa 
Claus  next  arrived. 

Perhaps  you  remember  that  stern  Baron 
Braun  who  once  drove  Claus  from  his  castle  and 
forbade  him  to  visit  his  children  ?  Well,  many 
years  afterward,  when  the  old  Baron  was  dead 
and  his  son  ruled  in  his  place,  the  new  Baron 
Braun  came  to  the  house  of  Claus  with  his  train 
of  knights  and  pages  and  henchmen  and,  dis- 
mounting from  his  charger,  bared  his  head 
humbly  before  the  friend  of  children. 

"  My  father  did  not  know  your  goodness  and 
worth,"  he  said,  "  and  therefore  threatened  to 
hang  you  from  the  castle  walls.  But  I  have 
children  of  my  own,  who  long  for  a  visit  from 
Santa  Claus,  and  I  have  come  to  beg  that  you 
will  favor  them  hereafter  as  you  do  other 
children." 

Claus  was  pleased  with  this  speech,  for  Castle 

170 


C^e  JLtfe  ana  atfocntutxg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

Braun  was  the  only  place  he  had  never  visited, 
and  he  gladly  promised  to  bring  presents  to  the 
Baron's  children  the  next  Christmas  Eve. 

The  Baron  went  away  contented,  and  Claus 
kept  his  promise  faithfully. 

Thus  did  this  man,  through  very  goodness, 
conquer  the  hearts  of  all ;  and  it  is  no  wonder 
he  was  ever  merry  and  gay,  for  there  was  no 
home  in  the  wide  world  where  he  was  not  wel- 
comed more  royally  than  any  king. 


171 


C^e  jftatttle  of  gjmmottaliti? 


AND  now  we  come  to  a  turning-point  in 
the  career  of  Santa  Claus,  and  it  is  my 
duty  to  relate  the  most  remarkable  cir- 
cumstance  that  has   happened   since   the  world 
began  or  mankind  was  created. 

We  have  followed  the  life  of  Claus  from  the 
time  he  was  found  a  helpless  infant  by  the 
Wood-Nymph  Necile  and  reared  to  manhood 
in  the  great  Forest  of  Burzee.  And  we  know 
how  he  began  to  make  toys  for  children  and 
how,  with  the  assistance  and  good-will  of  the 
immortals,  he  was  able  to  distribute  them  to  the 
little  ones  throughout  the  world. 

For   many   years   he    carried    on    this   noble 

i75 


Clje  Life  anti  atfoeuturcg  of  ^attta  Clang 

work;  for  the  simple,  hard-working  life  he  led 
gave  him  perfect  health  and  strength.  And 
doubtless  a  man  can  live  longer  in  the  beautiful 
Laughing  Valley,  where  there  are  no  cares  and 
everything  is  peaceful  and  merry,  than  in  any 
other  part  of  the  world. 

But  when  many  years  had  rolled  away  Santa 
Claus  grew  old.  The  long  beard  of  golden 
brown  that  once  covered  his  cheeks  and  chin 
gradually  became  gray,  and  finally  turned  to 
pure  white.  His  hair  was  white,  too,  and  there 
were  wrinkles  at  the  corners  of  his  eyes,  which 
showed  plainly  when  he  laughed.  He  had  never 
been  a  very  tall  man,  and  now  he  became  fat, 
and  waddled  very  much  like  a  duck  when  he 
walked.  But  in  spite  of  these  things  he  re- 
mained as  lively  as  ever,  and  was  just  as  jolly 
and  gay,  and  his  kind  eyes  sparkled  as  brightly 
as  they  did  that  first  day  when  he  came  to  the 
Laughing  Valley. 

Yet  a  time  is  sure  to  come  when  every  mortal 

176 


€^e  life  and  atfoetttureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 

who  has  grown  old  and  lived  his  life  is  required 
to  leave  this  world  for  another;  so  it  is  no 
wonder  that,  after  Santa  Claus  had  driven  his 
reindeer  on  many  and  many  a  Christmas  Eve, 
those  stanch  friends  finally  whispered  among 
themselves  that  they  had  probably  drawn  his 
sledge  for  the  last  time. 

Then  all  the  Forest  of  Burzee  became  sad 
and  all  the  Laughing  Valley  was  hushed;  for 
every  living  thing  that  had  known  Claus  had 
used  to  love  him  and  to  brighten  at  the  sound 
of  his  footsteps  or  the  notes  of  his  merry  whistle. 

No  doubt  the  old  man's  strength  was  at  last 
exhausted,  for  he  made  no  more  toys,  but  lay 
on  his  bed  as  in  a  dream. 

The  Nymph  Necile,  she  who  had  reared  him 
and  been  his  foster-mother,  was  still  youthful 
and  strong  and  beautiful,  and  it  seemed  to  her 
but  a  short  time  since  this  aged,  gray-bearded 
man  had  lain  in  her  arms  and  smiled  on  her 
with  his  innocent,  baby  lips. 

177 


C^e  Life  ana  £Dfoetttute0  of  ^auta  Claxijs 

In  this  is  shown  the  difference  between  mor- 
tals and  immortals. 

It  was  fortunate  that  the  great  Ak  came  to 
the  Forest  at  that  time.  Necile  sought  him  with 
troubled  eyes  and  told  him  of  the  fate  that 
threatened  their  friend  Claus. 

At  once  the  Master  became  grave,  and  he 
leaned  upon  his  ax  and  stroked  his  grizzled 
beard  thoughtfully  for  many  minutes.  Then 
suddenly  he  stood  up  straight,  and  poised  his 
powerful  head  with  firm  resolve,  and  stretched 
out  his  great  right  arm  as  if  determined  on 
doing  some  mighty  deed.  For  a  thought  had 
come  to  him  so  grand  in  its  conception  that  all 
the  world  might  well  bow  before  the  Master 
Woodsman  and  honor  his  name  forever ! 

It  is  well  known  that  when  the  great  Ak  once 
undertakes  to  do  a  thing  he  never  hesitates  an 
instant.  Now  he  summoned  his  fleetest  mes- 
sengers, and  sent  them  in  a  flash  to  many  parts 
of   the   earth.     And   when   they   were  gone   he 

178 


Stye  Life  attD  atfoetttirceg  of  ffeattta  Claug 

turned  to  the  anxious  Necile  and  comforted 
her,  saying: 

"Be  of  good  heart,  my  child;  our  friend  still 
lives.  And  now  run  to  your  Queen  and  tell 
her  that  I  have  summoned  a  council  of  all  the 
immortals  of  the  world  to  meet  with  me  here  in 
Burzee  this  night.  If  they  obey,  and  harken 
unto  my  words,  Claus  will  drive  his  reindeer 
for  countless  ages  yet  to  come." 

At  midnight  there  was  a  wondrous  scene  in 
the  ancient  Forest  of  Burzee,  where  for  the  first 
time  in  many  centuries  the  rulers  of  the  im- 
mortals who  inhabit  the  earth  were  gathered 
together. 

There  was  the  Queen  of  the  Water  Sprites, 
whose  beautiful  form  was  as  clear  as  crystal  but 
continually  dripped  water  on  the  bank  of  moss 
where  she  sat.  And  beside  her  was  the  King  of 
the  Sleep  Fays,  who  carried  a  wand  from  the 
end  of  which  a  fine  dust  fell  all  around,  so  that 
no  mortal   could   keep   awake   long   enough    to 

179 


C^e  life  and  &Dfccuture0  of  ^attta  Claujs 

see  him,  as  mortal  eyes  were  sure  to  close  in 
sleep  as  soon  as  the  dust  filled  them.  And  next 
to  him  sat  the  Gnome  King,  whose  people  in- 
habit all  that  region  under  the  earth's  surface, 
where  they  guard  the  precious  metals  and  the 
jewel  stones  that  lie  buried  in  rock  and  ore. 
At  his  right  hand  stood  the  King  of  the  Sound 
Imps,  who  had  wings  on  his  feet,  for  his  people 
are  swift  to  carry  all  sounds  that  are  made. 
When  they  are  busy  they  carry  the  sounds  but 
short  distances,  for  there  are  many  of  them;  but 
sometimes  they  speed  with  the  sounds  to  places 
miles  and  miles  away  from  where  they  are  made. 
The  King  of  the  Sound  Imps  had  an  anxious 
and  careworn  face,  for  most  people  have  no 
consideration  for  his  Imps  and,  especially  the 
boys  and  girls,  make  a  great  many  unnecessary 
sounds  which  the  Imps  are  obliged  to  carry 
when  they  might  be  better  employed. 

The  next  in  the  circle  of  immortals  was  the 
King  of  the   Wind    Demons,  slender   of  frame, 


C^e  Life  and  aDfoentiireg  of  ^>anta  Clang 

restless  and  uneasy  at  being  confined  to  one 
place  for  even  an  hour.  Once  in  a  while  he 
would  leave  his  place  and  circle  around  the 
glade,  and  each  time  he  did  this  the  Fairy 
Queen  was  obliged  to  untangle  the  flowing 
locks  of  her  golden  hair  and  tuck  them  back  of 
her  pink  ears.  But  she  did  not  complain,  for  it 
was  not  often  that  the  King  of  the  Wind  Demons 
came  into  the  heart  of  the  Forest.  After  the 
Fairy  Queen,  whose  home  you  know  was  in  old 
Burzee,  came  the  King  of  the  Light  Elves,  with 
his  two  Princes,  Flash  and  Twilight,  at  his  back. 
He  never  went  anywhere  without  his  Princes, 
for  they  were  so  mischievous  that  he  dared  not 
let  them  wander  alone. 

Prince  Flash  bore  a  lightning-bolt  in  his  right 
hand  and  a  horn  of  gunpowder  in  his  left,  and 
his  bright  eyes  roved  constantly  around,  as  if  he 
longed  to  use  his  blinding  flashes.  Prince  Twi- 
light held  a  great  snuffer  in  one  hand  and  a  big 
black  cloak  in  the  other,  and  it  is  well  known 


Clje  life  and  aafccnturcg  of  ^anta  Clang 

that  unless  Twilight  is  carefully  watched  the 
snuffers  or  the  cloak  will  throw  everything  into 
darkness,  and  Darkness  is  the  greatest  enemy 
the  King  of  the  Light  Elves  has. 

In  addition  to  the  immortals  I  have  named 
were  the  King  of  the  Knooks,  who  had  come 
from  his  home  in  the  jungles  of  India;  and  the 
King  of  the  Ryls,  who  lived  among  the  gay 
flowers  and  luscious  fruits  of  Valencia.  Sweet 
Queen  Zurline  of  the  Wood-Nymphs  completed 
the  circle  of  immortals. 

But  in  the  center  of  the  circle  sat  three  others 
who  possessed  powers  so  great  that  all  the  Kings 
and  Queens  showed  them  reverence. 

These  were  Ak,  the  Master  Woodsman  of  the 
World,  who  rules  the  forests  and  the  orchards 
and  the  groves ;  and  Kern,  the  Master  Hus- 
bandman of  the  World,  who  rules  the  grain 
fields  and  the  meadows  and  the  gardens ;  and 
Bo,  the  Master  Mariner  of  the  World,  who 
rules  the  seas  and  all  the  craft  that  float  thereon. 


C^e  Life  ana  atfocnturcg  of  ^>anta  Clang 

And  all  other  immortals  are  more  or  less  subject 
to  these  three. 

When  all  had  assembled  the  Master  Woods- 
man of  the  World  stood  up  to  address  them, 
since  he  himself  had  summoned  them  to  the 
council. 

Very  clearly  he  told  them  the  story  of  Claus, 
beginning  at  the  time  when  as  a  babe  he  had 
been  adopted  a  child  of  the  Forest,  and  telling 
of  his  noble  and  generous  nature  and  his  life- 
long labors  to  make  children  happy. 

"And  now,"  said  Ak,  "when  he  has  won  the 
love  of  all  the  world,  the  Spirit  of  Death  is  hov- 
ering over  him.  Of  all  men  who  have  inhabited 
the  earth  none  other  so  well  deserves  immor- 
tality, for  such  a  life  can  not  be  spared  so  long 
as  there  are  children  of  mankind  to  miss  him 
and  to  grieve  over  his  loss.  We  immortals  are 
the  servants  of  the  world,  and  to  serve  the  world 
we  were  permitted  in  the  Beginning  to  exist. 
But  what  one  of  us  is  more  worthy  of  immor- 

183 


C^e  Mft  ana  atfonttuteg  of  ^>anta  Claus 

tality  than  this  man  Claus,  who  so  sweetly  min- 
isters to  the  little  children  ?  " 

He  paused  and  glanced  around  the  circle,  to 
find  every  immortal  listening  to  him  eagerly  and 
nodding  approval.  Finally  the  King  of  the  Wind 
Demons,  who  had  been  whistling  softly  to  him- 
self, cried  out : 

"  What  is  your  desire,  O  Ak  ?  " 

"  To  bestow  upon  Claus  the  Mantle  of  Im- 
mortality !  "  said  Ak,  boldly. 

That  this  demand  was  wholly  unexpected  was 
proved  by  the  immortals  springing  to  their  feet 
and  looking  into  each  other's  face  with  dismay 
and  then  upon  Ak  with  wonder.  For  it  was  a 
grave  matter,  this  parting  with  the  Mantle  of 
Immortality. 

The  Queen  of  the  Water  Sprites  spoke  in 
her  low,  clear  voice,  and  the  words  sounded  like 
raindrops  splashing  upon  a  window-pane. 

"  In  all  the  world  there  is  but  one  Mantle  of 
Immortality,"  she  said. 

184 


C^e  life  anD  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

The  King  of  the  Sound  Fays  added: 

"  It  has  existed  since  the  Beginning,  and  no 
mortal  has  ever  dared  to  claim  it." 

And  the  Master  Mariner  of  the  World  arose 
and  stretched  his  limbs,  saying: 

"  Only  by  the  vote  of  every  immortal  can  it 
be  bestowed  upon  a  mortal." 

"I  know  all  this,"  answered  Ak,  quietly. 
"  But  the  Mantle  exists,  and  if  it  was  created, 
as  you  say,  in  the  Beginning,  it  was  because  the 
Supreme  Master  knew  that  some  day  it  would 
be  required.  Until  now  no  mortal  has  deserved 
it,  but  who  among  you  dares  deny  that  the  good 
Claus  deserves  it  ?  Will  you  not  all  vote  to  be- 
stow it  upon  him  ?  " 

They  were  silent,  still  looking  upon  one  an- 
other questioningly. 

"  Of  what  use  is  the  Mantle  of  Immortality 
unless  it  is  worn?"  demanded  Ak.  "What  will 
it  profit  any  one  of  us  to  allow  it  to  remain  in 
its  lonely  shrine  for  all  time  to  come  ?  " 

,85 


C^c  Life  anD  &tifomtun$  of  Ibanta  Clang 

"  Enough  !  "  cried  the  Gnome  King,  abruptly. 
"We  will  vote  on  the  matter,  yes  or  no.  For 
my  part,  I  say  yes !  " 

"And  I!"  said  the  Fairy  Queen,  promptly, 
and  Ak  rewarded  her  with  a  smile. 

"  My  people  in  Burzee  tell  me  they  have 
learned  to  love  him ;  therefore  I  vote  to  give 
Claus  the  Mantle,"  said  the  King  of  the  Ryls. 

"  He  is  already  a  comrade  of  the  Knooks," 
announced  the  ancient  King  of  that  band.  "Let 
him  have  immortality!  " 

"Let  him  have  it  —  let  him  have  it!  "  sighed 
the  King  of  the  Wind  Demons. 

"Why  not?"  asked  the  King  of  the  Sleep 
Fays.  "He  never  disturbs  the  slumbers  my 
people  allow  humanity.  Let  the  good  Claus  be 
immortal !  " 

"I  do  not  object,"  said  the  King  of  the 
Sound  Imps. 

"Nor  I,"  murmured  the  Queen  of  the  Water 
Sprites. 

186 


C^c  Life  ant)  #ot)cnture0  of  ^>attta  Claug 

"  If  Claus  does  not  receive  the  Mantle  it  is 
clear  none  other  can  ever  claim  it,"  remarked 
the  King  of  the  Light  Elves,  "  so  let  us  have 
done  with  the  thing  for  all  time." 

"The  Wood-Nymphs  were  first  to  adopt 
him,"  said  Queen  Zurline.  "  Of  course  I  shall 
vote  to  make  him  immortal." 

Ak  now  turned  to  the  Master  Husbandman 
of  the  World,  who  held  up  his  right  arm  and 
said  "  Yes !  " 

And  the  Master  Mariner  of  the  World  did 
likewise,  after  which  Ak,  with  sparkling  eyes 
and  smiling  face,  cried  out : 

"I  thank  you,  fellow  immortals!  For  all 
have  voted  <  yes,'  and  so  to  our  dear  Claus  shall 
fall  the  one  Mantle  of  Immortality  that  it  is  in 
our  power  to  bestow !  " 

"  Let  us  fetch  it  at  once,"  said  the  Fay  King; 
"  I'm  in  a  hurry." 

They  bowed  assent,  and  instantly  the  Forest 
glade  was  deserted.     But  in  a  place  midway  be- 

187 


C^c  life  and  atfocnturcg  of  ^anta  Claug 

tween  the  earth  and  the  sky  was  suspended  a 
gleaming  crypt  of  gold  and  platinum,  aglow 
with  soft  lights  shed  from  the  facets  of  countless 
gems.  Within  a  high  dome  hung  the  precious 
Mantle  of  Immortality,  and  each  immortal 
placed  a  hand  on  the  hem  of  the  splendid  Robe 
and  said,  as  with  one  voice : 

"  We  bestow  this  Mantle  upon  Claus,  who  is 
called  the  Patron  Saint  of  Children !  " 

At  this  the  Mantle  came  away  from  its  lofty 
crypt,  and  they  carried  it  to  the  house  in  the 
Laughing  Valley. 

The  Spirit  of  Death  was  crouching  very  near 
to  the  bedside  of  Claus,  and  as  the  immortals 
approached  she  sprang  up  and  motioned  them 
back  with  an  angry  gesture.  But  when  her  eyes 
fell  upon  the  Mantle  they  bore  she  shrank  away 
with  a  low  moan  of  disappointment  and  quitted 
that  house  forever. 

Softly  and  silently  the  immortal  Band  dropped 
upon  Claus  the  precious  Mantle,  and  it  closed 


C^e  itfe  and  a&betttirceis  of  ^anta  Claug 

about  him  and  sank  into  the  outlines  of  his 
body  and  disappeared  from  view.  It  became  a 
part  of  his  being,  and  neither  mortal  nor  im- 
mortal might  ever  take  it  from  him. 

Then  the  Kings  and  Queens  who  had  wrought 
this  great  deed  dispersed  to  their  various  homes, 
and  all  were  well  contented  that  they  had  added 
another  immortal  to  their  Band. 

And  Claus  slept  on,  the  red  blood  of  ever- 
lasting life  coursing  swiftly  through  his  veins; 
and  on  his  brow  was  a  tiny  drop  of  water  that 
had  fallen  from  the  ever-melting  gown  of  the 
Queen  of  the  Water  Sprites,  and  over  his  lips 
hovered  a  tender  kiss  that  had  been  left  by  the 
sweet  Nymph  Necile.  For  she  had  stolen  in 
when  the  others  were  gone  to  gaze  with  rapture 
upon  the  immortal  form  of  her  foster  son. 


CHAPTER  SECOND 

Wtym  t^e  ^orltJ  $rctu  3DID 


T~  ~"^HE  next  morning,  when  Santa  Claus 
opened  his  eyes  and  gazed  around  the 
familiar  room,  which  he  had  feared  he 
might  never  see  again,  he  was  astonished  to  find 
his  old  strength  renewed  and  to  feel  the  red 
blood  of  perfect  health  coursing  through  his 
veins.  He  sprang  from  his  bed  and  stood  where 
the  bright  sunshine  came  in  through  his  window 
and  flooded  him  with  its  merry,  dancing  rays. 
He  did  not  then  understand  what  had  hap- 
pened to  restore  to  him  the  vigor  of  youth,  but 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  his  beard  remained  the 
color  of  snow  and  that  wrinkles  still  lingered  in 
the  corners  of  his  bright  eyes,  old  Santa  Claus 


IQO 


C^e  life  ant)  aMjenturcjs  of  ^anta  Claug 


felt  as  brisk  and  merry  as  a  boy  of  sixteen,  and 
was  soon  whistling  contentedly  as  he  busied  him- 
self fashioning  new  toys.  J, 

Then  Ak  came  to  him  and  told  of  the  Man-    W 
tie  of  Immortality  and  how  Claus  had  won  it 
through  his  love  for  little  children. 

It  made  old  Santa  look  grave  for  a  mo- 
ment to  think  he  had  been  so  favored;  but  it 
also  made  him  glad  to  realize  that  now  he  need 
never  fear  being  parted  from  his  dear  ones.  At 
once  he  began  preparations  for  making  a  re- 
markable assortment  of  pretty  and  amusing  play- 
things, and  in  larger  quantities  than  ever  before; 
for  now  that  he  might  always  devote  himself  to 
this  work  he  decided  that  no  child  in  the  world, 
poor  or  rich,  should  hereafter  go  without  a 
Christmas  gift  if  he  could  manage  to  supply  it. 

The  world  was  new  in  the  days  when  dear 
old  Santa  Claus  first  began  toy-making  and 
won,  by  his  loving  deeds,  the  Mantle  of  Im- 
mortality.   And  the  task  of  supplying  cheering 

i9i 


C^e  Life  atto  atfocnturos  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

words,  sympathy  and  pretty  playthings  to  all  the 
young  of  his  race  did  not  seem  a  difficult  un- 
dertaking at  all.  But  every  year  more  and  more 
children  were  born  into  the  world,  and  these, 
when  they  grew  up,  began  spreading  slowly  over 
all  the  face  of  the  earth,  seeking  new  homes ;  so 
that  Santa  Claus  found  each  year  that  his  jour- 
neys must  extend  farther  and  farther  from  the 
Laughing  Valley,  and  that  the  packs  of  toys 
must  be  made  larger  and  ever  larger. 

So  at  length  he  took  counsel  with  his  fellow 
immortals  how  his  work  might  keep  pace  with 
the  increasing  number  of  children  that  none 
might  be  neglected.  And  the  immortals  were 
so  greatly  interested  in  his  labors  that  they  gladly 
rendered  him  their  assistance.  Ak  gave  him  his 
man  Kilter,  "the  silent  and  swift."  And  the 
Knook  Prince  gave  him  Peter,  who  was  more 
crooked  and  less  surly  than  any  of  his  brothers. 
And  the  Ryl  Prince  gave  him  Nuter,  the  sweet- 
est tempered  Ryl  ever  known.     And  the   Fairy 

192 


Ctye  Life  and  £Dbcntureg  of  £a>attta  Claug 


Queen  gave  him  Wisk,  that  tiny,  mischievous 
but  lovable  Fairy  who  knows  to-day  almost  as 
many  children  as  does  Santa  Claus  himself. 

With  these  people  to  help  make  the  toys  and 
to  keep  his  house  in  order  and  to  look  after  the 
sledge  and  the  harness,  Santa  Claus  found  it 
much  easier  to  prepare  his  yearly  load  of  gifts, 
and  his  days  began  to  follow  one  another 
smoothly  and  pleasantly. 

Yet  after  a  few  generations  his  worries  were 
renewed,  for  it  was  remarkable  how  the  num- 
ber of  people  continued  to  grow,  and  how 
many  more  children  there  were  every  year  to 
be  served.  When  the  people  filled  all  the  cities 
and  lands  of  one  country  they  wandered  into 
another  part  of  the  world;  and  the  men  cut 
down  the  trees  in  many  of  the  great  forests  that 
had  been  ruled  by  Ak,  and  with  the  wood  they 
built  new  cities,  and  where  the  forests  had 
been  were  fields  of  grain  and  herds  of  browsing 
cattle. 


193 


C^e  Life  anfc  atsbenturcg  of  fbanta  Clans 


t 


You  might  think  the  Master  Woodsman  would 
rebel  at  the  loss  of  his  forests;  but  not  so.  The 
wisdom  of  Ak  was  mighty  and  far-seeing. 

"  The  world  was  made  for  men,"  said  he  to 
Santa  Claus,  "and  I  have  but  guarded  the  forests 
until  men  needed  them  for  their  use.  I  am  glad 
my  strong  trees  can  furnish  shelter  for  men's 
weak  bodies,  and  warm  them  through  the  cold 
winters.  But  I  hope  they  will  not  cut  down  all 
the  trees,  for  mankind  needs  the  shelter  of  the 
woods  in  summer  as  much  as  the  warmth  of 
blazing  logs  in  winter.  And,  however  crowded 
the  world  may  grow,  I  do  not  think  men  will 
ever  come  to  Burzee,  nor  to  the  Great  Black 
Forest,  nor  to  the  wooded  wilderness  of  Braz ; 
unless  they  seek  their  shades  for  pleasure  and 
not  to  destroy  their  giant  trees*" 

By  and  by  people  made  ships  from  the  tree- 
trunks  and  crossed  over  oceans  and  built  cities 
y£^»in  far  lands;    but  the  oceans  made  little  differ- 
ence to  the  journeys  of  Santa  Claus.    His  rein- 

A        »'      J 


§~Hr* 


C^e  Life  and  aobcnturcg  of  ^>anta  Clauss 

deer  sped  over  the  waters  as  swiftly  as  over  land, 
and  his  sledge  headed  from  east  to  west  and 
followed  in  the  wake  of  the  sun.  So  that  as  the 
earth  rolled  slowly  over  Santa  Claus  had  all  of 
twenty-four  hours  to  encircle  it  each  Christmas 
Eve,  and  the  speedy  reindeer  enjoyed  these  won- 
derful journeys  more  and  more. 

So  year  after  year,  and  generation  after  gen- 
eration, and  century  after  century,  the  world 
grew  older  and  the  people  became  more  nu- 
merous and  the  labors  of  Santa  Claus  steadily 
increased.  The  fame  of  his  good  deeds  spread 
to  every  household  where  children  dwelt.  And 
all  the  little  ones  loved  him  dearly;  and  the 
fathers  and  mothers  honored  him  for  the  happi- 
ness he  had  given  them  when  they  too  were 
young;  and  the  aged  grandsires  and  grand- 
dames  remembered  him  with  tender  gratitude 
and  blessed  his  name. 


Cl)e  ^cputicss  of  ^anta  Claug 


ITOWEVER,  there  was  one  evil  following 
I     in  the  path  of  civilization  that  caused 
Santa  Claus  a  vast  amount  of  trouble 
before  he  discovered  a  way  to  overcome  it.    But, 
fortunately,  it  was  the  last  trial  he  was  forced  to 
undergo. 

One  Christmas  Eve,  when  his  reindeer  had 
leaped  to  the  top  of  a  new  building,  Santa  Claus 
was  surprised  to  find  that  the  chimney  had  been 
built  much  smaller  than  usual.  But  he  had  no 
time  to  think  about  it  just  then,  so  he  drew  in 
his  breath  and  made  himself  as  small  as  possible 
and  slid  down  the  chimney. 

"  I  ought  to  be  at  the  bottom  by  this  time," 
196 


C^e  life  and  attoetttutrcg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

he  thought,  as  he  continued  to  slip  downward ; 
but  no  fireplace  of  any  sort  met  his  view,  and 
by  and  by  he  reached  the  very  end  of  the  chim- 
ney, which  was  in  the  cellar. 

"This  is  odd!"  he  reflected,  much  puzzled 
by  this  experience.  "  If  there  is  no  fireplace, 
what  on  earth  is  the  chimney  good  for  ?  " 

Then  he  began  to  climb  out  again,  and  found 
it  hard  work — the  space  being  so  small.  And 
on  his  way  up  he  noticed  a  thin,  round  pipe 
sticking  through  the  side  of  the  chimney,  but 
could  not  guess  what  it  was  for. 

Finally  he  reached  the  roof  and  said  to  the 
reindeer : 

"  There  was  no  need  of  my  going  down  that 
chimney,  for  I   could  find  no  fireplace  through 
which   to   enter   the   house.    I  fear  the  children 
who  live  there  must  go  without  playthings  this" 
Christmas." 

Then  he  drove  on,  but  soon  came  to  another 
new  house  with  a  small  chimney.    This  caused 

197 


%ty  Life  ana  atfoenturcg  of  ^anta  Claug 

Santa  Claus  to  shake  his  head  doubtfully,  but 
he  tried  the  chimney,  nevertheless,  and  found  it 
exactly  like  the  other.  Moreover,  he  nearly 
stuck  fast  in  the  narrow  flue  and  tore  his  jacket 
trying  to  get  out  again ;  so,  although  he  came 
to  several  such  chimneys  that  night,  he  did  not 
venture  to  descend  any  more  of  them. 

"  What  in  the  world  are  people  thinking  of, 
to  build  such  useless  chimneys  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  In  all  the  years  I  have  traveled  with  my  rein- 
deer I  have  never  seen  the  like  before." 

True  enough;  but  Santa  Claus  had  not  then 
discovered  that  stoves  had  been  invented  and 
were  fast  coming  into  use.  When  he  did  find  it 
out  he  wondered  how  the  builders  of  those 
houses  could  have  so  little  consideration  for 
him,  when  they  knew  very  well  it  was  his  cus- 
tom to  climb  down  chimneys  and  enter  houses 
by  way  of  the  fireplaces.  Perhaps  the  men  who 
built  those  houses  had  outgrown  their  own  love 
for   toys,  and   were    indifferent   whether   Santa 


%\)t  life  attD  %Xfomtum$  of  ^>anta  Clang 

Claus  called  on  their  children  or  not.  What- 
ever the  explanation  might  be,  the  poor  children 
were  forced  to  bear  the  burden  of  grief  and  dis- 
appointment. 

The  following  year  Santa  Claus  found  more 
and  more  of  the  new-fashioned  chimneys  that 
had  no  fireplaces,  and  the  next  year  still  more. 
The  third  year,  so  numerous  had  the  narrow 
chimneys  become,  he  even  had  a  few  toys  left 
in  his  sledge  that  he  was  unable  to  give  away, 
because  he  could  not  get  to  the  children. 

The  matter  had  now  become  so  serious  that 
it  worried  the  good  man  greatly,  and  he  decided 
to  talk  it  over  with  Kilter  and  Peter  and  Nuter 
and  Wisk. 

Kilter  already  knew  something  about  it,  for 
it  had  been  his  duty  to  run  around  to  all  the 
houses,  just  before  Christmas,  and  gather  up 
the  notes  and  letters  to  Santa  Claus  that  the 
children  had  written,  telling  what  they  wished 
put  in  their  stockings  or  hung  on  their  Christ- 

199 


€^c  life  ano  atfoenturcg  of  ^>anta  Claxtjs 

mas  trees.  But  Kilter  was  a  silent  fellow,  and 
seldom  spoke  of  what  he  saw  in  the  cities  and 
villages.    The  others  were  very  indignant. 

"  Those  people  act  as  if  they  do  not  wish 
their  children  to  be  made  happy!  "  said  sensible 
Peter,  in  a  vexed  tone.  "  The  idea  of  shutting 
out  such  a  generous  friend  to  their  little  ones!" 

"  But  it  is  my  intention  to  make  children 
happy  whether  their  parents  wish  it  or  not,"  re- 
turned Santa  Claus.  "  Years  ago,  when  I  first 
began  making  toys,  children  were  even  more 
neglected  by  their  parents  than  they  are  now; 
so  I  have  learned  to  pay  no  attention  to  thought- 
less or  selfish  parents,  but  to  consider  only  the 
longings  of  childhood." 

"  You  are  right,  my  master,"  said  Nuter,  the 
Ryl ;  "  many  children  would  lack  a  friend  if 
you  did  not  consider  them,  and  try  to  make 
them  happy." 

"Then,"  declared  the  laughing  Wisk,  "we 
must  abandon  any  thought  of  using  these  new- 


C^e  Life  attD  atfoentureg  of  ^>anta  Claug 


fashioned  chimneys,  but  become  burglars,  and 
break  into  the  houses  some  other  way." 

"  What  way  ?  "  asked  Santa  Claus. 

"  Why,  walls  of  brick  and  wood  and  plaster 
are  nothing  to  Fairies.  I  can  easily  pass  through 
them  whenever  I  wish,  and  so  can  Peter  and 
Nuter  and  Kilter.    Is  it  not  so,  comrades  ?  " 

"  I  often  pass  through  the  walls  when  I  gather 
up  the  letters,"  said  Kilter,  and  that  was  a  long 
speech  for  him,  and  so  surprised  Peter  and  Nuter 
that  their  big  round  eyes  nearly  popped  out  of 
their  heads. 

"  Therefore,"  continued  the  Fairy,  "  you  may 
as  well  take  us  with  you  on  your  next  journey, 
and  when  we  c^me  to  one  of  those  houses  with 
stoves  instead  of  fireplaces  we  will  distribute  the 
toys  to  the  children  without  the  need  of  using 
a  chimney." 

"  That  seems  to  me  a  good  plan,"  replied 
Santa  Claus,  well  pleased  at  having  solved  the 
problem.    "We  will  try  it  next  year." 


€^e  Life  aitti  asjticutitrc^  of  ^attta  Claug 


That  was  how  the  Fairy,  the  Pixie,  the 
Knook  and  the  Ryl  all  rode  in  the  sledge  with 
their  master  the  following  Christmas  Eve ;  and 
they  had  no  trouble  at  all  in  entering  the  new- 
fashioned  houses  and  leaving  toys  for  the  chil- 
dren that  lived  in  them. 

And  their  deft  services  not  only  relieved  Santa 
Claus  of  much  labor,  but  enabled  him  to  com- 
plete his  own  work  more  quickly  than  usual,  so 
that  the  merry  party  found  themselves  at  home 
with  an  empty  sledge  a  full  hour  before  daybreak. 

The  only  drawback  to  the  journey  was  that 
the  mischievous  Wisk  persisted  in  tickling  the 
reindeer  with  a  long  feather,  to  see  them 
jump;  and  Santa  Claus  found  it  necessary  to 
watch  him  every  minute  and  to  tweak  his  long 
ears  once  or  twice  to  make  him  behave  himself. 

But,  taken  all  together,  the  trip  was  a  great 
success,  and  to  this  day  the  four  little  folk  al- 
ways accompany  Santa  Claus  on  his  yearly  ride 
and  help  him  in  the  distribution  of  his  gifts. 


C^e  Life  and  aotocnttircg  of  ^>anta  Claujs 

But  the  indifference  of  parents,  which  had  so 
annoyed  the  good  Saint,  did  not  continue  very 
long,  and  Santa  Claus  soon  found  they  were 
really  anxious  he  should  visit  their  homes  on 
Christmas  Eve  and  leave  presents  for  their 
children. 

So,  to  lighten  his  task,  which  was  fast  be- 
coming very  difficult  indeed,  old  Santa  decided 
to  ask  the  parents  to  assist  him. 

"  Get  your  Christmas  trees  all  ready  for  my 
coming,"  he  said  to  them;  "and  then  I  shall 
be  able  to  leave  the  presents  without  loss  of 
time,  and  you  can  put  them  on  the  trees  when 
I  am  gone." 

And  to  others  he  said :  "  See  that  the  chil- 
dren's stockings  are  hung  up  in  readiness  for 
my  coming,  and  then  I  can  fill  them  as  quick 
as  wink." 

And  often,  when  parents  were  kind  and  good- 
natured,  Santa  Claus  would  simply  fling  down 
his   package  of  gifts  and   leave  the   fathers  and 


C^e  Life  and  3tftenture0  of  ^anta  Claug 

mothers  to  fill  the  stockings  after  he  had  darted 
away  in  his  sledge. 

"I  will  make  all  loving  parents  my  deputies!  " 
cried  the  jolly  old  fellow,  "and  they  shall  help 
me  do  my  work.  For  in  this  way  I  shall  save 
many  precious  minutes  and  few  children  need 
be  neglected  for  lack  of  time  to  visit  them." 
il  *^>  Besides  carrying  around  the  big  packs  in  his 
swift-flying  sledge  old  Santa  began  to  send  great 
heaps  of  toys  to  the  toy-shops,  so  that  if  parents 
wanted  larger  supplies  for  their  children  they 
could  easily  get  them;  and  if  any  children  were, 
by  chance,  missed  by  Santa  Claus  on  his  yearly 
rounds,  they  could  go  to  the  toy-shops  and  get 
enough  to  make  them  happy  and  contented. 
For  the  loving  friend  of  the  little  ones  decided 
that  no  child,  if  he  could  help  it,  should  long 
for  toys  in  vain.  And  the  toy-shops  also  proved 
convenient  whenever  a  child  fell  ill,  and  needed 
a  new  toy  to  amuse  it;  and  sometimes,  on  birth- 
days, the  fathers  and  mothers  go  to  the  toy-shops 

204 


Ctyc  life  ana  atfoetttutcss  of  ^anta  €lam 

and  get  pretty  gifts  for  their  children  in  honor 
of  the  happy  event. 

Perhaps  you  will  now  understand  how,  in 
spite  of  the  bigness  of  the  world,  Santa  Claus  is 
able  to  supply  all  the  children  with  beautiful 
gifts.  To  be  sure,  the  old  gentleman  is  rarely 
seen  in  these  days;  but  it  is  not  because  he  tries 
to  keep  out  of  sight,  I  assure  you.  Santa  Claus 
is  the  same  loving  friend  of  children  that  in 
the  old  days  used  to  play  and  romp  with  them 
by  the  hour;  and  I  know  he  would  love  to  do 
the  same  now,  if  he  had  the  time.  But,  you 
see,  he  is  so  busy  all  the  year  making  toys,  and 
so  hurried  on  that  one  night  when  he  visits  our 
homes  with  his  packs,  that  he  comes  and  goes 
among  us  like  a  flash ;  and  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  catch  a  glimpse  of  him. 

And,  although  there  are  millions  and  millions 
more  of  children  in  the  world  than  there  used 
to  be,  Santa  Claus  has  never  been  known  to 
complain  of  their  increasing  numbers. 

205 


C^e  Life  and  atrtjenturejs  of  ^anta  Claujs 

"The  more  the  merrier!"  he  cries,  with  his 
jolly  laugh;  and  the  only  difference  to  him  is 
the  fact  that  his  little  workmen  have  to  make 
their  busy  fingers  fly  faster  every  year  to  satisfy 
the  demands  of  so  many  little  ones. 

"  In  all  this  world  there  is  nothing  so  beauti- 
ful as  a  happy  child,"  says  good  old  Santa  Claus; 
and  if  he  had  his  way  the  children  would  all  be 
beautiful,  for  all  would  be  happy. 


200 


